Abdul Samad is a young Indian cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir. He came into the limelight with his powerful batting skills which also helped him to sign an IPL contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2020. He is the fourth player from Jammu and Kashmir to make it to the IPL. Whether it is T20, ODI or Test matches, Abdul’s batting style remains almost the same in all formats which is the hallmark of his batting style.
Wiki/Biography
Abdul Samad was born on Sunday, October 28, 2001 (19 years old in 2020) in Kalakot village, Rajali district, Jammu. His full name is Abdul Samad Farooq. He studies at Lawrence Public School, Jammu.
Abdul Samad stands with students and management of Lawrence Public School
Abdul grew up playing cricket at the local ground of Ustad Mohalla in Jammu. Seeing Abdul’s growing interest in cricket, his father, a former sportsman himself (national-level volleyball player), enrolled Abdul at the MA Stadium Coaching Centre, Jammu’s premier sports training institute. There, Abdul was trained by Randhir Singh Manhas and his assistant Raman Tapru. Apart from fulfilling his cricket dream, Abdul Samad is equally focused on his academics. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Physical Education (BPEd) from Sharirik Shikshan Mahavidyalaya, Koradi and will complete the two-year course in 2021.
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 11″
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Black
Family and caste
Abdul was born into a middle-class Muslim family.
Parents and siblings
His father, Mohammad Farooq, holds a Bachelor of Physical Education and is currently working as a Master of Physical Education at the Youth Services and Sports Office in Gandhi Nagar district, Jammu. His mother, Farzana Kausar, is a housewife. His elder brother, Tayyab Farooq, is also pursuing a Bachelor of Physical Education from the same college where Abdul studies.
Abdul Samad and his family
Profession
Foundation Year
Abdul’s cricket journey began when he got an opportunity to play for Jammu Under-14 cricket team at the age of 11. Later, he played for Jammu and Kashmir Under-14 team for three years, Under-16 team for two years, Under-19 team for one year before making it to the senior team.
Abdul Samad with his team during his childhood cricket career
Turning Point
Before Samad started playing junior cricket, he was not doing well. Most of the time, he lost his wickets early while trying to hit big shots. His batting average was good; however, he lacked the tools to build his innings. In 2018, when he returned to Jammu after playing in the Under-19 tournament, a camp was set up at the Science College grounds where former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan came with the intention of discovering and nurturing young cricketing talents in Jammu and Kashmir. Samad’s career came to a turning point when he was spotted by former Irfan Pathan during a cricket trial held at the camp. Irfan, who was then a mentor for the Jammu and Kashmir state senior team, was stunned to see how easily Samad could hit the ball out of the field. At that time, Samad was just a 16-year-old kid. Intrigued by Samad’s powerful batting skills, Irfan Pathan studied his performances in junior cricket and discovered that Samad had not yet scored a half-century. Irfan knew that Samad lacked the patience required to score big. Irfan made Samad realize his potential as a batsman. Irfan told Samad to focus on building his innings and hitting the ball selectively instead of trying to hit every ball over the boundary rope. Irfan has been guiding him carefully, not only training him as a coach but also guiding him as a mentor.
Irfan Pathan discovers Abdul Samad’s cricket camp
Samad’s coach and Irfan played a vital role in improving Samad’s game and making him a more mature cricketer.
Abdul Samad with his father and former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan
Domestic business
On 21 February 2019, Samad made his T20 debut for the Jammu and Kashmir senior team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Nagaland. He played a fiery innings in his debut match, scoring 76 runs in 51 balls. On 27 September 2019, Abdul started his Grade A cricket career in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Rajasthan. On 9 December 2019, he played his first Ranji Trophy match for Jammu and Kashmir against Uttarakhand. In the 2019–20 Ranji Trophy, he scored 592 runs in 10 matches, the highest scorer for the team. In addition, he hit 36 sixes, the highest among all players in the tournament.
Abdul Samad drives the ball over the boundary during the Ranji Trophy 2019-20 quarter-final match between Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka on February 23, 2020
IPL Career
The selectors of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) noticed his impressive performance in the domestic league and invited him for a cricket trial held before the IPL 2020 auction. The team picked him at a base price of Rs 20 lakh in the IPL 2020 auction. Samad played his first IPL match on September 29, 2020, against Delhi Capitals.
Abdul Samad hits the ball over the boundary rope in his first IPL match
He contributed to the team not only in batting but also in bowling as a part-time bowler. He mainly played the role of a finisher and managed to win several games for the team while batting in the lower order.
Abdul Samad hits a top-scoring shot during a match against Mumbai Indians in Sharjah on October 4, 2020
Favorite things
Facts/Trivia
- While millions of cricket fans around the world are familiar with Abdul’s batting prowess, most are not aware of his hidden talent in singing. Abdul Samad has a soulful singing voice. Here are some clips of him singing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IiuFtq4-Ik
- Abdul Samad’s mother wanted her son to become a doctor. While talking to a media reporter, she revealed that her son’s academic performance was also very good when he was young, so she often told Abdul to participate less in sports and spend more time reading. However, seeing her son’s talent and love for cricket, she gradually began to support him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd74-xSWK7Y
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education