Rajasthan Royals set to retain Sanju Samson, making him youngest IPL crorepati

Sanju Samson

There have been many superstars tagged with the crore-rupee tag in IPL auctions over the years, but breaking all boundaries, Sanju Samson, who turned 19 last November, is set to become the youngest crorepati player in the Indian Premier League.

Samson, who hails from Kerala and has been playing for Rajasthan Royals, was extremely impressive last year, scoring 206 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 115.73. He further enhanced his reputation by scoring a 47-ball 60 in the Champions League T20 final last year.

Recently, he scored a swashbuckling hundred in the U19 Asia Cup final to lead India to victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, and was set to put IPL auctions on fire. But according to a report in Times of India, Rajasthan Royals have decided to retain the player.

According to BCCI rules, any uncapped player, if retained by a franchisee, will have to be paid Rs. 4 crore. TOI sources have said that though the 19-year-old may not get that sum, he will earn much more than the Rs. 10 lakh he was being paid so far, most probably taking his earning into 8-figures.

“Money was not the criteria. Royals gave him the platform to showcase his talent last season. So it is in the best interests of the player to continue his association with the same team. He is just 19 and I think Rajasthan will offer him the maximum opportunity, which is important for a player like Sanju,” the source was quoted as saying in the report.

What seems to have pushed Samson to remain with Royals is the presence of Rahul Dravid, who the youngster considers his mentor. Sanju’s family had recently revealed how important Dravid’s contribution had been in their ward’s development on and off the field.