India U-19 squad: Samit steps up to U19 with Dravid's legacy in tow

Samit Dravid (Pic: PTI)

The annals of cricket history have been rich with various father-son duos playing the sport, either at domestic or international levels. In sports, though, talent outplays name and lineage, and their ability to excel at the highest level and handle pressure situations holds utmost importance.

Indian cricket has been witness to a lot of father-son duos: Sachin Tendulkar and Arjun Tendulkar, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Lala Amarnath and Mohinder, Surinder, Rajinder Amarnath, Datta Gaekwad and Anshuman Gaekwad, Pankaj Roy and Pranab Roy, Vijay Manjrekar and Sanjay Manjrekar, Sunil Gavaskar and Rohan Gavaskar, Yograj Singh and Yuvraj Singh, Roger Binny and Stuart Binny, Vinoo and Ashok Mankad, and Hemant and Hrishikesh Kanitkar.

One such pairing that is on the verge of joining this illustrious list is former India captain and coach Rahul Dravid and his elder son Samit Dravid. On Saturday, a big step in that direction was made when Samit, a right-handed middle-order batter who also bowls some overs of pace bowling, found himself in the India U19 squad to play three 50-over games and two four-day matches against the visiting Australia team in September-October at Puducherry and Chennai, respectively.

The first signs of Samit making serious waves and following his father Rahul's footsteps in cricket came in 2015 when as a bespectacled youngster, he made 77 not out to help his team Mallya Aditi International School get a big win over New Horizon Public School in the U-12 category of the Gopalan Cricket Challenge Cup in Bengaluru and went on to generate more buzz in Bengaluru school cricket with his performances.

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In 2016, Samit again made headlines when playing for Bangalore United Cricket Club, he scored 125 against Frank Anthony Public School. In 2019, he again grabbed eyeballs by making 201 in the first innings and an unbeaten 94 in the second innings of an Under-14 Karnataka inter-zonal level cricket tournament game.

In the 2019-20 season, he finished as the highest run-getter in the U-14 Inter-School Tournament for II Division for the B.T. Ramaiah Shield and was awarded for the feat. Samit later became a part of the Karnataka Under-19 team that won the 2023/24 Cooch Behar Trophy, where he made 362 runs from eight matches, with his knock of 98 against Jammu and Kashmir being a standout for its run-making quality, apart from taking 16 wickets in eight games.

Samit later played for KSCA XI in a three-day game against the visiting Lancashire side in Alur this year. But cricket fans got their first serious sight of him playing senior cricket when Mysuru Warriors picked him for the Maharaja T20 trophy.

Though he made waves on social media with some of his boundaries, Samit has amassed just 82 runs at a strike rate of 114 in seven innings and hasn't got a go with the ball yet. But with him having a big bat swing, punchy front-foot cover drives and late cuts, nous to bowl tight spells, and a solid stance, one can be assured of Samit's blossoming cricket career going upwards through the upcoming India U19 stint.

(With IANS inputs)