‘He didn’t do too well…’ – Sreesanth reveals how his lie convinced Rahul Dravid to include Sanju Samson in Rajasthan Royals

Sanju Samson is currently the skipper of Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL. But, it is his second stint in this franchise because he played for the same franchise from 2013 to 2015. In 2013, former Team India international Rahul Dravid was the skipper of the franchise and Sreesanth was a part of the team also. 

Now, in an exclusive chat on Sportskeeda’s YouTube channel recently, Sreesanth revealed that he lied to Dravid to include Sanju Samson in RR that year. He said: “Rahul bhai listened to me when I introduced Sanju to him. I lied to him, I said, ‘This kid hit me for six sixes in a local tournament’. Rahul bhai said, ‘Shree, kuch bhi bol, ye kyu bol raha hai?’ (Say anything, why are you lying like this)”    

Sreesanth also claimed that he arranged the trip for Samson and some other players from Kerala at his own expense. He even gave them a daily allowance. He said: “He didn’t do too well in a few practice games,” he added. “But when Rahul bhai saw him bat he was convinced, came to me and said, ‘Shree, don’t let this Sanju guy go to any other selection, we are signing him. Whether or not he’d get matches, I don’t know but we would like to sign him.’”

“We can’t make or break any player.” – Sreesanth regarding Sanju Samson

“A lot of people questioned me. They said, ‘How can you put him in the team, I am the senior, I am the ‘keeper.’ Even some of my friends questioned me, ‘Yaar Shree tu bhi yaar bacchon ke le kar aata hai’ (What Sree, why do you bring kids to the team?'” Sreesanth further added. He also thanked Sanju for meeting him at the right time.

“We can’t make or break any player. They stand up themselves and it’s their hard work that brings them success. I have always tried to introduce people to young players. I used to do that even before playing for India. If you are in a position of power where you meet powerful people and if you can help your people or locals through them, then you should. I am grateful to Sanju that I could meet him at the correct time,” Sreesanth concluded.