Sanju

Samson

Sanju Samson Biography and Career

Sanju Samson, one of the very few cricketers from Kerala to play international cricket, was born in a village near Thiruvananthapuram, into a sports-loving family. His father, Samson Viswanath, was not just a police constable with the Delhi Police but also a football player who represented Delhi in the Santosh Trophy. His mother, Ligy Viswanath, is a homemaker. Saly Samson, Sanju Samson's elder brother, has represented Kerala in junior cricket.

Sanju’s early training in cricket took place in Delhi, where his father was posted. However, after struggling to find opportunities in Delhi's competitive cricket scene, the family relocated to Kerala. In fact, Mr. Samson Viswanath decided to retire from the Delhi Police after his son was not selected in the Delhi U-13 team for the Dhruv Pandove Trophy. In several interviews, Sanju has spoken about the sacrifices made by his father for him. 

After impressing in various age-group tournaments for Kerala, Sanju found a spot in India's U19 team, from where began his road to the Indian Premier League. His first big assignment was the U19 Asia Cup in 2011, but Sanju was unimpressive in the tournament. However, better performances in the tournaments that followed eventually helped him get the role of India's vice-captaincy at the U19 World Cup in 2014. Sanju also scored a truckload of runs for Kerala in the Ranji Trophy. He was Kerala's highest run-scorer in 2013-14 Ranji Trophy season scoring 530 runs at an average of 58.88, and also in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy, with 627 runs. 

Consistent performances for the state team helped him make it to the India A team. Against the Australia A Team in the Quadrangular Series in 2014, the right-hander finished as India A's highest run-scorer with 244 runs. 

Sanju was initially included in Kolkata Knight Riders' player pool for the 2009 IPL and signed by the team in 2012 but did not play and was released before the 2013 season, and in his second match, he scored 63 runs off 41 balls, becoming the youngest player to score an IPL half-century at the time. Samson finished the season with 206 runs, six stumpings, and the Best Young Player award.

Sanju joined Delhi Capitals in 2016 after Rajasthan Royals were banned for two years due to a betting and match-fixing scandal. He scored his first T20 century in 2017 against Rising Pune Supergiants. Samson returned to Rajasthan Royals in 2018 and hit his second IPL century in 2019 with an unbeaten 102* against Sunrisers Hyderabad. In the 2020 season, he smashed a 32-ball 74 against Chennai Super Kings. Sanju is currently the captain of the Royals. 

Sanju Samson made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe on July 19, 2015, in Harare. Despite a top-order collapse, he contributed 36 runs in a sixth-wicket partnership with Stuart Binny. He played his second international match only in 2019.

For much of his early international career, Samson was benched, with critics arguing his potential was underutilized. In recent years, he has received more opportunities and performed well. As of January 2025, he has scored four international centuries—three in T20Is and one in ODIs.

Known for his aggressive yet elegant batting, Sanju is praised for his timing, straight-hitting ability, and strong wicket-keeping skills.

Beyond cricket 

Sanju Samson married his long-time girlfriend, Charulatha Remesh, on September 8, 2018. As of 2025, his net worth is Rs 82 crore, earned through international cricket, IPL, domestic matches, and endorsements. He currently has a BCCI C-grade contract, which earns him an annual salary of Rs 1 crore, Rs 6 lakh per ODI, and Rs 3 lakh per T20I. Rajasthan Royals retained him as captain for IPL 2025 with a contract worth Rs 18 crore.

In 2018, he founded the "Six Guns Sports Academy" in Thiruvananthapuram for cricket and football training. Sanju was Kerala's State election icon in 2021 and became the brand ambassador for Kerala Blasters FC in 2023.

Sanju Samson T20I records 

• First cricketer to score three T20I centuries in a calendar year (2024): In 2024, Samson became the first player to score three T20 International centuries within a single calendar year.

• First Indian to score consecutive T20I centuries (2024): In November 2024, he achieved back-to-back T20I centuries against South Africa, becoming the first Indian to do so.

• Highest individual score by an Indian wicketkeeper in T20Is (2024): On October 12, 2024, Samson scored 111 runs off 47 balls against Bangladesh, marking the highest individual score by an Indian wicketkeeper in T20 Internationals.

• Highest partnership for the second wicket in T20Is (2022): In June 2022, he, along with Deepak Hooda, set a record for the highest partnership for the second wicket in men's T20 Internationals, with a 176-run stand against Ireland.

• First Indian wicketkeeper to score a T20I century (2024): In October 2024, Samson became the first Indian wicketkeeper-batter to score a T20I century, achieved against Bangladesh in Hyderabad. 

Sanju Samson IPL records 

• Most runs for Rajasthan Royals: He has scored the most runs for the Royals (3934) from 2013 to 2024.

• Century in first match as captain (2021): In the 2021 season, he became the first cricketer in the league to record a century on captaincy debut. 

• Most wins as Rajasthan Royals captain (2024): he equalled Shane Warne's record and achieved the most wins as Rajasthan Royals captain (31)

• Youngest player to score a half-century in IPL (2023): In 2013, at the age of 18, Samson became the youngest player to score a half-century in the IPL. The record was later broken. 

Sanju Samson Other records 

• Fastest double-century in List A cricket by an Indian: In the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored an unbeaten 212 runs, recording the second-fastest double-century in List A cricket by an Indian.