Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson is known more for his performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) than for the national team. He has been a key player for Rajasthan Royals, scoring over 3,000 runs in his first eight IPL seasons. Born in Delhi, he moved to Kerala in his early teens and made a mark in junior cricket with solid batting skills. He played in the Under-19 Asia Cup in 2011 but missed selection for the U-19 World Cup the next year.

Samson was bought by Rajasthan Royals in 2013 at age 18. Except for two years when the team was banned, he has been a constant figure in their squad. He became captain in 2021 and had a strong season, which included a blazing 119 off 63 balls in the opener. Despite his consistent runs, the team’s overall finishes were poor until 2022, when Royals were runners-up and Samson scored 458 runs.

In first-class cricket, Samson debuted in 2011-12 for Kerala and made strong contributions as a batsman and wicketkeeper. By 2015-16, at 20, he was captain of Kerala. A highlight was a record 212 not out in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2019. He made his India T20 debut in 2015 but had long gaps between appearances. His ODI debut came in 2021, with sporadic matches after that.

In the IPL, Samson captains Rajasthan Royals and is their highest scorer with 3,934 runs before IPL 2025. He played for Royals from 2013-15 and from 2018 onwards, while also spending two seasons with Delhi Daredevils during Royals’ suspension and being in the KKR squad in 2012 without playing. At 19, he won the best young player award in 2013 after scoring 206 runs and taking 13 catches. He has three IPL centuries and led Royals to the 2022 IPL final, finishing runners-up. In 2024, he scored 531 runs, his seventh consecutive season with over 300 runs, and was retained by Royals for ₹18 crore for IPL 2025.