I am different from Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, or anyone else: Sanju Samson

Rajasthan Royals (RR) run in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 was no less than a dream. Skipper Sanju Samson led his band of men from the front and marched the franchise into their second-ever tournament finals. 

The Rajasthan franchise had a near-perfect season, losing to Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final on Sunday evening, led by Hardik Pandya.

According to the Hindustan Times, in a clip alongside Malayalam film director Basil Joseph, the 27-year-old says he loves to see Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni take control in the middle but does not want to end up copying them.

"I am different from Dravid or Dhoni or anyone else. So, I try to be as natural as I am. But, primarily, I try to assess the mood of the team. Often, they are all pumped up, so you needn't tell them that you should try your best. It's sometimes the stupidest thing you would tell because everyone wants to perform to the best of their skills," Samson quoted in a report in The Indian Express.

Samson was appointed Rajasthan skipper before the start of IPL 2021 in UAE, where the Jaipur-based club finished second-last in the points table.

It is no secret that Samson has always been in awe of Dravid, who he has spent the most time with on India A tours and during the latter's association with RR.

"His speeches were profound. He often spoke of the higher purpose of life. His words had a hypnotic power to hold our attention for a long time. But as much as his speeches, he was so caring and understanding. He loved us and thus inspired us to produce our best. That's the atmosphere we are trying to create in Rajasthan," the Kerala-born said.

The right-hander helped his side finish second in the points table this season with 18 points, all while scoring 458 runs at a strike rate of 147.