Sanju Samson, hailed as the next big thing from Kerala, is a skilled wicket-keeper batsman with a solid technique both in batting and keeping. He started his first-class career at the young age of 17, playing for Kerala against Vidarbha.
Personal Information
| Name | Sanju Samson |
| Born | Nov 11, 1994 (28 years) |
| Birth Place | Pulluvila, Vizhinjam, Trivandrum |
| Height | 1.7 m |
| Role | Batsman |
| Batting Style | Right-Handed Bat |
ICC Ranking
| Role | Test | ODI | T20 |
| Batting | – | – | – |
| Bowling | – | – | – |
Career Information
| Teams | India, Kolkata Knight Riders, India U19, Kerala, East Zone, South Zone, Rajasthan Royals, India A, Indians, India AT20, Delhi Capitals, Indian Board Presidents XI |
Batting Career Summary
| M | INN | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100 | 200 | 50 | 4s | 6s | |
| ODI | 11 | 10 | 5 | 330 | 86 | 66 | 315 | 104.76 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 15 |
| T20I | 17 | 16 | 1 | 301 | 77 | 20.07 | 225 | 133.78 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 13 |
| IPL | 138 | 134 | 13 | 3526 | 119 | 29.14 | 2598 | 135.72 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 279 | 158 |
Bowling Career Summary
| M | INN | B | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Econ | Avg | SR | 5W | 10W | |
| ODI | 11 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| T20I | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| IPL | 138 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Career Information
| ODI debut | vs Sri Lanka at R.Premadasa Stadium, Jul 23, 2021 |
| Last ODI | vs New Zealand at Eden Park, Nov 25, 2022 |
| T20 debut | vs Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club, Jul 19, 2015 |
| Last T20 | vs Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, Jan 03, 2023 |
| IPL debut | vs Punjab Kings at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Apr 14, 2013 |
| Last IPL | vs Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium, May 29, 2022 |
Sanju Samson Profile
Sanju Samson made a significant impact by scoring two centuries and a half-century in just five matches. Although he was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2012, he did not get a chance to play. However, it was in 2013 when he gained recognition in the IPL while playing for the Rajasthan Royals.
In 2012, he was selected to represent the country in the Under-19 World Cup held in the UAE. He proved his worth to the selectors by emerging as the highest run-scorer for India and the only player in the team to score three half-centuries. Despite India not making it to the semi-finals, he finished 6th in the list of top run-scorers in the entire tournament.
During IPL-7, when Dravid was mentoring the Royals, he praised Samson and predicted that he would be one of the players to shine for India in the coming years. Samson’s consistent performances in the IPL earned him a spot in the Indian team for the Zimbabwe tour in 2015. He made his debut for India in a T20 match, scoring 19 runs.
Dravid once again displayed his confidence in Samson when he became the head coach of Delhi Daredevils and picked him in the 2016 IPL auctions. Samson proved his worth by becoming the third-highest run-scorer for his team.
Sanju Samson was then selected for the India A tour of Australia, where he played some crucial innings that helped them win the quadrangular series against Australia A, South Africa A, and National Performance Squad. During the 2014-15 season, he had climbed up the pecking order and was considered as a potential successor to MS Dhoni as India’s wicket-keeper. However, his fortunes took a downturn since then.
Despite possessing natural talent and the ability to play stunning shots all over the field, Samson’s game hasn’t progressed as much as it should have. Despite gaining experience in the domestic circuit, his temperament still seems to be that of a rookie. This is an area that Samson needs to work on if he wants to become a successful international cricketer. Although he has had limited opportunities to play for India, he hasn’t been able to perform well in those chances. With competition from the explosive Rishabh Pant, who can bat at any position, Samson needs to be on top of his game.
Sanju Samson- IPL through the years
Sanju Samson, a stylish batsman and wicket-keeper, was initially a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders but did not get any opportunities to showcase his talent there. However, his stint with the Rajasthan Royals proved to be a turning point in his career. From 2013 to 2015, he played a crucial role in the RR batting line-up, providing stability with his solid gameplay and also accelerating the scoring rate with his impressive strokeplay.
Despite some temperamental issues, Sanju Samson was considered a future superstar and his impressive performances in the IPL even led to him being considered as a potential successor to MS Dhoni.
Despite his consistent performances in the IPL, Sanju Samson has not had a breakthrough season that would help him make a strong case for himself. He often starts an IPL season with impressive scores, but fails to maintain the momentum as the tournament progresses.
Sanju Samson lack of interest in glovework during domestic cricket has set him back considerably, and by the time he resumed being a wicket-keeper, he had fallen behind in the category of India’s wicket-keeper batsmen. Although he exhibited his strengths during his short stint with Delhi, his weaknesses remained the same over the last five years.
Sanju Samson returned to RR at the fresh auctions in 2018, but another underwhelming season followed after a promising start. The 2019 season was not much different, as he showed glimpses of his brilliance, including a couple of centuries, but failed to score runs consistently.
Sanju Samson is a key player in RR’s middle order and has been appointed as the team’s skipper in 2021. As a domestic recruit, he adds more value to the franchise by allowing them to use overseas players in other departments. Although he has yet to have a standout IPL season, Samson is still searching for that one big breakthrough that will take his game to the next level.
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