‘Told 14-Year-Old Samson He’d Be the Next Dhoni’: Shashi Tharoor

There’s at least one thing Shashi Tharoor and Gautam Gambhir agree about!

Shashi Tharoor says he told a 14-year-old Sanju Samson that he’d be the next MS Dhoni.

(Photo: BCCI/PTI/IANS)

Shashi Tharoor and Gautam Gambhir may be MPs from opposing political parties, but the one thing that they are definitely on the same side about is the talent that Rajasthan Royals cricketer Sanju Samson possesses.

The 25-year-old Samson’s quickfire 32-ball 74 against the Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League match on Tuesday, 22 September, earned him high praise from all quarters.

Former Indian cricketer and BJP MP Gambhir, in a tweet, hailed Samson as the ‘best young batsman of India.’ Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram – also Samson’s home city – Tharoor said he was in agreement.

“No argument from me @GautamGambhir! I have known him since he was a kid. At 14 I told him he would be the next @msdhoni. He has the ability & is developing the self-belief. All he needs is the breaks!,” wrote Tharoor on Twitter.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Samson made his international debut in a T20I against Zimbabwe in 2015.

However, he has since played just four matches for India in the shortest format. The top-order batsman has been a part of the first-class cricket setup since his debut in 2011.