Former Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Tom Moody believes that Abdul Samad's last-ball six that sealed Hyderabad's four-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in Sunday's IPL 2023 match could be the turning point in the youngster's career.
Samad had been unable to take Hyderabad over the line in final over chases against Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders earlier in the season. But on Sunday, a stroke of luck through a no-ball propelled him to smash a six on the free-hit against Sandeep Sharma to lead Hyderabad in chasing down 215, ending unbeaten on 17 off just 7 balls.
"What Abdul Samad has got as a young, emerging player is a rare ability to hit the ball out of the ground. He reminds me of a young Yusuf Pathan. He's got that strength, power, and it's a very hard role to play," said Moody.
"I hope that it gives the management and the franchise confidence that they have got the right person, because that is the hardest part. Forget about the player having confidence, you need the organisation - wherever you are - to have confidence in you, and I think if you look at his erratic selection over the last two years, I think that hopefully this is the turning point for him."
Moody also gave a glimpse into how hard Samad, now in his fourth IPL season, works on his craft. "He's not charging off with his bat in the air; he's a very humble, quietly-spoken guy."
"Abdul Samad's 21, and we are judging him on his history as a 21-year-old. Let's judge him on his history when he's 28, and then make judgement on whether he's consistent in one of the hardest roles to play."
With eight points, Hyderabad is now at ninth place in the points table, and their next match in IPL 2023 will be against Lucknow Super Giants at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday afternoon.