Did not expect such a high IPL bid: Samson

SOON AFTER COMING TO KNOW that he has been picked up by the Delhi Daredevils IPL franchise for Rs.4.20 crore, the shy and soft spoken Sanju Samson said he had never expected to be bought for such a high price.

"I never expected this. I am happy to hear the news and I will perform to the best of my abilities for my team," the 21-year-old wicketkeeper told the media in Trivandrum on Saturday.

Samson's base price was fixed at Rs.2 crore, but he went for more than double that amount after some competitive bidding between the Daredevils and newly-formed Rajkot based franchise Gujarat Lions.

The Daredevils are in the process of overhauling their entire outfit.

Besides his batting, it was Samson's wicketkeeping skills that has made him a success with the Rajasthan Royals. With the Royals out of the IPL for two years, his performance saw him set at a base price of Rs.2 crore. The Kerala lad had represented the country in a Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe last year.

Samson is only the third Keralite to don the national colours after pacers Tinu Yohanan and S. Sreesanth and is the first to be selected for his batting skills.