Shane Watson has played alongside some of the greatest players in IPL history during his tenure as a player, and is now part of the coaching staff at Kolkata Knight Riders where he once again has access to some sterling Indian domestic talent. One player to keep an eye on for many fans within the KKR camp is 21-year-old Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who Watson backed as a player who reminded him of Sanju Samson.
Watson and Samson shared a dressing room for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian player’s younger days, before he became the World Cup-winning champion that he is known as now. It was all about the talent and the potential for a young Samson, and as per Watson, Raghuvanshi has shown him flashes of that.
“I’ve been fortunate over the years to see some unbelievably talented young cricketers in the IPL,” said Watson in a press conference. “I remember seeing Sanju Samson as a 17-year-old and being blown away by his skill level Angkrish is another one of those players.”
Raghuvanshi played 10 matches in KKR’s victorious 2024 campaign, before finishing as the team’s second highest scorer in 2025 with a 300-run season. He was KKR’s form player to start the 2026 season as well, but has fallen by the wayside in recent weeks with a middling strike-rate. However, Watson believes his progression will help him become a player of Samson’s calibre down the line.
“His skill development at 21 is honestly astonishing. We’ve seen flashes of what he can do, but there’s a lot more to come. What stands out is his ability to adapt to different conditions and bowlers while still having a wide range of shot options,” explained Watson.
Raghuvanshi’s wicket-keeping a massive boon
As with any young player, the main call from Watson was for consistency and for a platform to show his great skill on a regular basis in the IPL. At just 21 years old, there are still levels to be found – Samson, for example, developed his power later in his career.
“Even in training yesterday, on a challenging wicket, some of the things he was doing were ridiculous to watch. He’s only going to get better as he learns how to harness all that skill consistently,” said Watson.
A big plus for Raghuvanshi in terms of his development is him finding his feet as a wicketkeepr, after starting his IPL career as a pure batter. KKR have shown faith in his abilities with the gloves this season, and he had been fairly error-free behind the wickets.
“And now he’s keeping wickets too, which makes it even more impressive because he wasn’t originally a full-time keeper,” said Watson. “He’s worked incredibly hard at it and done a brilliant job. The best keepers are the ones you barely notice because everything looks smooth – and he’s done that beautifully.”
“He’s a highly skilled young man, but just as importantly, he’s incredibly eager to learn and improve. As a coach, those are the dream players to work with,” concluded Watson regarding Raghuvanshi, as the KKR team aims to finish strong and pull out a miracle playoff appearance after a rough start to the IPL season this year.
