?The Indian Premier League auction held on December 19 had teams rumbling to buy players that fit their strategy and combination.?
In an auction where players went for big bucks, there was one certain pick that stood out for various reasons. Sunrisers Hyderabad paid the base price of 20 lakh for Abdul Samad, an 18 year-old all-rounder from Kashmir.??
The talented middle-order batsman, Abdul Samad, who also has the ability to bowl his leg breaks was surprisingly yet interestingly picked by the 2016 IPL winners.
The explosive swashbuckler, Samad got the franchisee¡¯ nod for his consistent performances in this season¡¯s Syed Mushtaq Ali T20, Vijay Hazare Trophy and in the ongoing Ranji Trophy Tournament.?
He hit impressive 78 runs, studded with 10 fours and 3 sixes in the Ranji Trophy match against Maharashtra on the day of the auction.
Son of a Physical Education teacher Mohd Farooq, who himself was himself an outstanding Volleyball player and a club cricketer, Samad has been producing the goods with the? bat consistently.?
In one of the matches this season against formidable Gujarat, Samad impressed all with his explosiveness by sending the bowlers like Piyush Chawla, Axar Patel and likes on a leather-hunt.
Under the tutelage of Irfan Pathan, who is the mentor of the J&K team, and skipper Parvez Rasool, Samad has been honing his skills and has been improving his game.
He becomes fourth cricketer from the valley to find a buyer at the auction after Parvez Rasool, Manzoor Dar, and Rasikk Salam.?