Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 5 (IANS): The Samson family here owes the phenomenal growth of their cricketer son Sanju to former India captain Rahul Dravid.

The Samsons are basking in glory after Sanju smashed a quickfire century in Sharjah Saturday to help India beat Pakistan in the final and win the Under-19 Asia Cup.

"It was Dravid sir who gave our son all the motivation to perform in the field and we owe a great deal to him," said Sanju's father Samson Viswanath, formerly a constable with Delhi Police.

"It was his performance with the Rajasthan Royals that gave him the much needed confidence and it happened because Dravid gave him the space to perform," added the former constable, who quit his job to mould the future of his two cricketer sons.

The 18-year-old Sanju is now a household name here after he bagged the best young cricketer award for his performances for the Rajasthan Royals in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Sanju's elder brother Saly Samson is in his second year of college and plays for Kerala's Under-25 team. The Samsons are now waiting for the big moment, which is Sanju's entry into the senior India cricket team and they believe that day is not far.