Samad gave a glimpse of his belligerent strokeplay on his IPL debut as he hit a quick-fire 12 off 7 deliveries to provide the late flourish to his team's innings and helped them post a challenging 162-run total.
The 18-year old teenager Samad became only the third player from Jammu and Kashmir to play in the coveted Indian Premier League. Parvez Rasool and Rasikh Salam happen to be the only cricketers from J-K to make their debuts in the IPL.
Samad was snapped up by Sunrisers Hyderabad in during the 2020 IPL auctions held last year in December at Kolkata.
It is notable that Samad's Jammu and Kashmir teammate Manzoor Dar was also roped in by Kings XI Punjab in 2018 but the cricketer did not receive a start in the IPL.
Former Indian seam bowler Irfan Pathan was delighted about Samad's debut in the IPL and hailed it as an inflection point in the history of Jammu and Kashmir's cricket.
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"Another feather added to Jammu & Kashmir’s cricketing fraternity as Abdul Samad is all set to make his ipl debut. I wish him the luck for his long career ahead! I am certain,this will create positive waves in J&K’s younger generations; who will look upto this upcoming Hero! #ipl," Pathan said in a tweet.
Mentored by Irfan Pathan who is serving as J&K player-cum-mentor, and endorsed by Milap Mewada, Samad was first spotted as a 16-year-old in 2018, at a trial in Jammu. His ability to drive on the up against fast bowlers from 18 yards impressed Pathan who closely followed his scores in districts cricket.
Samad hogged the limelight in the domestic circles after the immensely talented teenager notched up 582 runs and slammed 3 centuries for Jammu and Kashmir in the first class season.
The hard hitting strokemaker created waves around the domestic circuit by tonking 36 sixes, the most by any batsman in the domestic season during the season. Samad's batting heroics helped Jammu and Kashmir book a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season.
Samad also had an impactful run with the willow in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy as he scored quick-fire cameos on spin-friendly pitches in Surat. His whirlwind 29 off 10 balls against Odisha, 28* off 13 against Nagaland, and 32* off 24 balls against Saurashtra, all contributed to wins for J&K in the premier domestic T20 tournament.
Samad who made his first class debut for Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy on December 9 has played 10 matches for his state side aggregating 592 runs with 2 tons and 3 half centuries. The attacking middle order batsman has also represented J-K in 8 List A matches and scored 237 runs with 3 fifties.