If Rahul sir says I'm good enough, then I'm good enough: Samson

Rahul Dravid is back at the helm of Rajasthan Royals (RR) as the team's head coach after his successful stint with the Indian team that culminated with the T20 World Cup triumph in June this year. Interestingly, Rahul will head the team's thinktank along with captain Sanju Samson -- a player he selected during his previous stint with the former Indian Premier League (IPL) champions.
Dravid, who was part of RR in the past as player and coach, was the one who got impressed by Samson's batting skills during the 2013 trials, after which the Royals bought the then 18-year-old Samson at the IPL auction.

Samson has been part of the Royals since then except for the team's two-year absence (2016 and 2017) from the IPL because of a ban because of corruption charges. Samson played for Delhi for those two seasons.
Star Sports shared a video clip of Samson from an interview where he is narrating the story about how he came for the RR trials and managed to win Dravid's heart.
"A couple of months before I came (joined RR), I think trials were happening in Jaipur. Sreesanth bhai brought me for those trials. I think Rahul sir was there, Paddy Upton was there, Zubin Barucha (former RR Team Director) was there," Samson said as he went down memory lane.

"Before that, I had gone for the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) trials as a youngster. So I was not expecting a lot from these (RR) trials. You never know what will happen, what kind of players they are looking for," he added.
Samson first got picked for IPL by KKR in 2012, but did not play any match that season.
"So I was part of the two-day (RR) trials. Before or after that, I haven't batted so well. It was a very special day for me," the 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman from Kerala recalled.
Samson went on to describe how Rahul, who last played in the IPL in 2013 before being appointed RR's coach, came to him and congratulated for his effort in the trials.
"That day Rahul sir told me 'You are definitely doing something really great. Would you like to play for our team?' It gave me a lot of confidence, coming from Rahul sir who has played every kind of

cricket

and has been a legend.
"If someone like him is saying I am good enough, then I am good enough," Samson said.
Samson was appointed RR captain in 2021. A year later, he led the team to the final, but the 2008 champions lost to newcomers Gujarat Titans.