Exclusive: 'Talented' Samit Dravid always keen to learn and give his best, says Karun Nair

Samit Dravid has received his maiden call-up in the India U19 squad as a reward for his consistency in junior-level cricket. The young all-rounder will represent the national team in the multi-format series against Australia. He played a significant role in helping Karnataka win the Cooch Behar Trophy earlier this year and was also a part of the Mysore Warriors squad in the recently-concluded Maharaja T20 League.

Even though he did not have a great time in the tournament and was even dropped from the playing XI, the team management was impressed with the youngster's hunger to excel. Mysore’s captain Karun Nair, who finished as the leading run-scorer of the tournament, noted that Samit was always keen to learn in the preparatory camp.

“Samit is really talented. Our whole team management saw that and that’s why he was part of our team. Even in the preparatory camp, he was always keen on learning and giving his best, which is what we as a team wanted. Really happy to see his progress and I hope he goes on to do so much better in the coming years,” Nair told exclusively to CricTracker.

Samit is naturally gifted: Krishnappa Gowtham

Krishnappa Gowtham, who was also part of the Mysore Warriors squad, was impressed by Samit’s character and professionalism. The all-rounder revealed that the 18-year-old can switch formats quickly, a quality essential to succeed in modern-day cricket. Calling him "naturally gifted", Gowtham also mentioned that it was a pleasure for him to share the dressing room with Samit.

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“He is a naturally gifted kid. The interactions and the way I have seen him bat.. I think it’s been real pleasure. He can go a long, long way and we can see why he has been picked (U19 India team). There was a tournament which was happening (soon after the Maharaja T20 Cup final) and he was batting on 92*. That shows the character about him; the professionalism he has. To switch from a T20 game to a four-day format within no time... That is what is needed of a cricketer. You need to know how to switch,” said Gowtham.