Sanju Samson
Sanju Viswanath Samson (/ˌsʌndʒu sæmsən/ (
listen); born 11 November 1994) is an Indian international cricketer who captains Kerala in domestic cricket and Rajasthan Royals in Indian Premier League.[3] He is a right-handed batter and a wicketkeeper.[4] He was the vice-captain of the Indian U-19 team for the 2014 Under-19 Cricket World Cup[5] and 2013 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup.[6]
![]() Sanju at the anti-drug campaign ‘Say Yes to Cricket, No to Drugs’ initiated by Kerala Police and Kerala Cricket Association on 7 November 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Sanju Viswanath Samson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 November 1994 Pulluvila, Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm off break[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Wicket-keeper-batter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Only ODI (cap 241) | 23 July 2021 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 55) | 19 July 2015 v Zimbabwe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 29 July 2021 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 9 (formerly 14 ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–present | Kerala (squad no. 9) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Rajasthan Royals (squad no. 8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Delhi Daredevils (squad no. 8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–present | Rajasthan Royals (squad no. 11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 19 November 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sanju was included in the Indian squad for the limited-overs matches for the 2014 tour of England.[7] He debuted in Twenty20 International (T20I) against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club Ground, on 19 July 2015.[8] He scored an unbeaten 212 in 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy in the sixth instance[9] an Indian scored a double-century in List A cricket,[10] which is also the second-fastest double ton in List A cricket.[11][12] He made his One Day International (ODI) debut on 23 July 2021 against Sri Lanka.[13] He is the batter to score most runs against Indian Premier League team Sunrisers Hyderabad with 615 runs from 18 innings.[14][15]
Early life and background
Sanju was born on 11 November 1994[16] into a Latin Catholic Malayali family[17] in Pulluvila, a coastal village near Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala.[18] His father, Samson Viswanath, was formerly a police constable at Delhi Police and a retired football player and later coach who has represented Delhi in Santhosh Trophy[19] and his mother, Ligy Viswanath is a housewife.[20] His elder brother Saly Samson has represented Kerala in Junior cricket[21][22][23] and currently works in the AG's office.[24]
Sanju spent his early childhood in the Police residential colony in North Delhi neighbourhood of GTB Nagar and studied at Rosary Senior Secondary School, Delhi.[25][24] He trained under coach Yashpal at the academy in DL DAV Model School, Shalimar Bagh.[26] When Sanju didn't make it into the Delhi U-13 team for Dhruv Pandove Trophy, his father took voluntary retirement from the Delhi police force; a year after he retired from football and moved to Kerala, where Sanju and his brother continued their cricketing careers.[27][28] In Kerala, he attended Masters Cricket Club in Thiruvananthapuram[29] before changing academies to train under Biju George on Medical College Ground, Thiruvananthapuram.[30][31]
Sanju graduated high school from St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.[32][33] He pursued a B.A. degree in English literature[34] from Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram.[35][36] Apart from cricket, his childhood aspiration was to become an IPS officer.[33] He is working as the manager of Bharat Petroleum, Thiruvananthapuram.[32]
Youth and domestic career
2007-13 : Youth and early domestic career
Sanju was a member of the U-13 cricket team of Kerala in 2007.[18] In KSCA Inter-State under-13 tournament, he captained the side and bagged the player of the tournament award scoring 973 runs, including four centuries in five matches.[37][38][39] He was also the captain of U-16 and U-19 Kerala State Cricket Team.[40] As a member of Kerala U-15 team, he scored a double century off 138 balls in a Vijay Merchant Trophy South Zone match against Goa.[41] He was the leading run-scorer of the season scoring 498 runs at an average of 62.25 including two centuries and two fifties.[42][43]
His heroics in Vijay Hazare Trophy paved way to the Kerala squad for 2009-10 Ranji Trophy at the age of 14,[44][45] becoming the youngest ever cricketer to be selected to play for Kerala in the Ranji Trophy.[46] He was named in the Kerala squad for the inaugural season of Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy the same season.[47] He made his first-class debut for the side in 2011-12 Ranji Trophy[48][49] on 3 November 2011 against Vidarbha[50] and Twenty20 debut for the side on 16 October 2011 against Hyderabad in the 2011-12 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.[51] He was named in the Kerala squad for 2011-12 Vijay Hazare Trophy[52] and made his List-A debut on 23 February 2012 against Andhra Pradesh.[53]
Sanju represented India in the 2012 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup held in Malaysia in June 2012.[54][55] However, he disappointed with just 23 runs from five innings.[56] He failed to get selected to the 2012 Under-19 Cricket World Cup squad of India.[57] He scored two centuries and a fifty in five appearances in 2012-13 Ranji Trophy.[58][59] He was the vice-captain of India under-19 team of 2013 Top End Under-19 Series in Australia.[60][61] In the 2013 ACC Under 19 Asia cup in UAE,[62] he scored a century in the final against Pakistan, helping India retain the cup.[63] He was also the vice-captain of the team.[64]
2013-14: Breakthrough in Ranji Trophy and early success
He was Kerala's highest run-getter in 2013-14 Ranji Trophy season scoring 530 runs at an average of 58.88.[65] In his first match of the season against Assam he scored a career-best 211 to bring up his first double century in Ranji Trophy.[66] In the second match against Andhra Pradesh he scored 115 from 281 balls in the 1st innings followed by 51* in the second innings.[67][68] On the Australia A Team Quadrangular Series in 2014 he finished as India A's highest run-scorer with 244 runs from seven innings with two fifties with an average of 81.33.[69] He was also applauded by Indian coach Abhay Sharma for his temperament and batting technique, calling him 'The Future of India'.[70] His maiden half-century in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy came against Rajasthan in the same year[71] as he finished as the highest run-scorer for Kerala in the tournament.[72] He finished as Kerala's top-scorer in the 2014-15 season of Ranji Trophy scoring 475 runs including a highest score of 207.[73][74]
In 2014, BCCI appointed Sanju as vice-captain of team India for the 2014 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.[75] He was the top run-scorer for India in the tournament[76] with a highest score of 85 runs from 45 balls against Papua New Guinea.[77][78]
2015-16 : Captaincy and subsequent dip in form
Sanju was appointed as the captain of Kerala for the 2015–16 Ranji Trophy season.[79][80] He began the season with a ton[81][82] but failed to convert it into a successful season.[83] His pathetic batting show continued in the Vijay Hazare Trophy that followed, where he scored just 95 runs from his seven appearances in the tournament.[84] He started the next Ranji season scoring a 154 against Jammu and Kashmir[85][86] but again failed to impress in the rest of the season.[87][88] He was issued a show-cause notice by Kerala Cricket Association for alleged acts of indiscipline during a match in the tournament.[89]
2017-2020 : Return to form and further success
He was the leading run-scorer for Kerala in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy, with 627 runs from seven matches[90] thus playing a key role in leading Kerala for the first time to the quarter-finals of the tournament.[91] Following this he was appointed as the captain of the Board President's XI side replacing injured Naman Ojha for the two-day tour match against Sri Lanka.[92] He scored a century against the visiting team ending their two-day tour match in a draw.[93]
In August 2018, he was one of eight players that were fined by the Kerala Cricket Association, after showing dissent against Kerala's captain, Sachin Baby.[94] In November 2018, he was named as one of eight players to watch ahead of the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy.[95]
In the same month, he was named on the India A squad to play the Quadrangular series[96][97] in which India A and India B will be joined by South Africa A and Australia A after being dropped from India A's England tour because of a failed Yo-Yo test.[98] He was the top-scorer of Kerala in the 2017-18 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.[99]
In September 2019, he scored 91 runs off 48 balls in the fifth unofficial One-day match between India A and South Africa A and was awarded the man-of-the-match award.[100][101] In October 2019 during the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy match between Kerala and Goa, Sanju doubled his maiden List-A century[102] which was the second-fastest double hundred and the fastest by an Indian in the format.[103] It was the highest total made by a wicket-keeper in a One-day cricket match with an unbeaten 212 runs from 129 balls.[104] His partnership of 338 runs with Kerala skipper Sachin Baby in the match is the highest partnership in List-A cricket for Indian cricket and third highest in the format.[105]
2021-present : Return to captaincy
He captained Kerala in the 2020–21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy[106] but failed to lead his team to the knockout stage of the tournament.[107] He was the Kerala skipper in the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy[108] and led the team to the quarterfinals of the tournament.[109] He finished the tournament as Kerala's leading run-scorer in the season scoring 227 runs from 7 innings.[110] On 30 November 2021, he was named the captain of the Kerala squad to play the 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy.[111]
International cricket
In August 2014, Sanju was selected to the 17-man squad to play against England in 5 ODIs and a Twenty20.[112][113] However, he did not make it to the final eleven on any of the matches and remained a backup keeper to MS Dhoni.[21] Sanju was called to the twenty-20 team for the solitary T-20 against West Indies, which got cancelled.[114][115] In July 2015, he was drafted into the Indian squad against Zimbabwe for an ODI and two T20I matches as an injury replacement for Ambati Rayudu.[116] He made his international debut against Zimbabwe at Harare on 19 July 2015.[117]
In October 2019, he was recalled to the Indian side after four years as a part of India's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for their series against Bangladesh;[118][119] but was benched in the whole series.[120] In November 2019, he was added to the Indian team for T20I series against West Indies after an injury to Shikhar Dhawan.[121][122] In December 2020, he was named in the Twenty 20 squad to play against Sri Lanka[123] and featured in the third T20.[124][125]
"Sanju was fearless at the top of the order. He tried to take the momentum away, he should back himself".
Virat Kohli on Samson's batting on Team India. —[126]
He was selected for the T20I series of the India tour of New Zealand and was part of the playing eleven as an opener.[127][128] Though he couldn't create the desired impact with the bat,[129][130] his acrobatic catch in the deep made people take note of his fielding process.[131]
In October 2020, he was named in India's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for their series against Australia.[132][133] On 9 November 2020, he was added to India's One Day International (ODI) squad, also for their series against Australia.[134] He failed to break into the playing eleven of India in the one day series though he played all the three Twenty20 matches.[135] He didn't have a great series, scoring a total of 48 runs from 3 innings.[136][137][138] His fielding efforts were once again appreciated by the critics.[139] He was dropped from India's Twenty20 International squad for their series against England.[140][141]
In June 2021, he was named in India's One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) squads for their series against Sri Lanka.[142] He made his ODI debut on 23 July 2021, for India against Sri Lanka and scored 46 runs off 46 balls.[143][144] He played all twenty-20 matches against Sri Lanka scoring only 34 runs from three matches.[145][146] He failed to be picked in the Indian squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup[147] and the twenty 20 series against New Zealand that followed.[148]
Indian Premier League
Sanju was named by Kolkata Knight Riders in its player pool ahead of 2009 Indian Premier League.[46][149] He was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of 2012 Indian Premier League[150][151] but did not get to play and was released ahead of the 2013 season.[20][152][153] He was signed to play for Rajasthan Royals in 2013.[154][155] He made his IPL debut for Rajasthan against Kings XI Punjab on 14 April 2013 after the regular wicket-keeper Dishant Yagnik failed to recover from an injury.[156][157]
In his second match, he scored 63 runs from 41 balls, becoming the youngest player in IPL to score a half-century.[158][159][Note 1] He won the Best Young Player award of 2013 season with 206 runs and six stumpings from 10 innings.[163][164]
"The Kerala cricketer’s calm performance won him many admirers and he may prove to be one of the answers to Royals' problems in the middle-order".
— The Hindu on Sanju Samson's performance on his IPL debut match[165]
Sanju made his Champions League Twenty20 debut for Rajasthan Royals[166] against the Mumbai Indians on 21 September 2013[167] and scored 54 off 47 balls, becoming the youngest player to score a half-century in the CLT20.[168][169]
He was retained by Rajasthan ahead of the 2014 season.[170] He finished the season as the joint top run-scorer for the side, scoring 339 runs in 13 matches.[171]
In 2016, Delhi Daredevils signed Sanju[172][173] after Rajasthan was banned from the competition for two years after being found guilty in illegal betting and match-fixing probe.[174] He scored a total of 291 runs[175] and scored his maiden T20 century during the season.[176][177][178] In 2017 IPL, he finished as Delhi's top run-scorer with 386 runs.[179]
He returned to Rajasthan in the 2018 IPL auction[180] and scored 441 runs in the season[181] with the highest score of 91* against RCB.[182][183][184] He scored his second IPL century in the next season, hitting an unbeaten 102*.[185][186][187] He scored a total of 342 runs this season.[188]
During the 2020 season, Sanju scored a 32-ball 74 against Chennai Super Kings.[189] He led Rajasthan to the highest successful run chase in IPL history with 85 runs from 42 balls against Kings XI Punjab in the same season.[190] Later in the season, he became the second-youngest cricketer to play 100 IPL matches[191] and finished the tournament as Rajasthan's top run-scorer.[192]
"You're a captain when you're fielding, not when you're batting".
— Sanju Samson on an interview with ESPN Cricinfo before IPL 2021[193]
On 20 January 2021, Sanju was named the captain of Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2021 Indian Premier League.[194][195] He scored a century in his first match as captain, becoming the first IPL captain to achieve the feat.[196][197][198] He completed 3000 runs in IPL, scoring 82 runs off 57 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad later in the season.[199] He was the top run-scorer for Rajasthan Royals in the season scoring 484 runs from 14 matches[200] and also the sixth-highest run-scorer of the tournament.[201] On 30 November 2021, he was retained by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2022 Indian Premier League.[202][203]
Playing style
Sanju is a naturally aggressive and flamboyant batsman[204][205] who is hailed as a natural talent with quality batting techniques and wicket-keeping skills.[152][206] He is considered an excellent timer of the ball[207] who mostly sticks to his range between cover and fine-leg.[208] He has the ability to play straight and prefers to hit straight over the bowler’s head.[204] Equipped with fast hands, powerful forearms and excellent hand-eye coordination he prefers to stay still at the crease and rarely moves down the track to play shots.[204][209] He can play aerial shots without moving his head.[207]
His power has been compared to powerful stroke-makers such as Rohit Sharma and AB de Villiers who can middle the ball to play shots with seemingly minimal effort.[210] His batting style has been described as "fearless" in Twenty20 cricket.[211][212][213] However, he has a weakness against short of a length deliveries.[214]
He is also an athletic fielder[215][131][139] who fields in the deeper areas in the field . He is also a quick runner and his throws from the deep can be very quick.[216] He has been inconsistent over the years[137] and has been dismissed in 20s and 30s quite oftenly in his career.[217] He has also been noted to show lack of judiciousness in shot selection.[218][204] He has been criticized for having the temperament of a rookie in spite of being experienced in the domestic circuit.[219][220][152]
Outside cricket
In 2018, Sanju started a sports academy, namely "Six Guns Sports Academy", devoted to cricket and football training for young players in Thiruvananthapuram.[221] He was appointed as the State election icon of Kerala, ahead of the 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election.[222]
Personal life
Sanju announced his marriage with his long-time girlfriend Charulatha Remesh, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, on 8 September 2018 through his social media platforms.[223] The couple were college-mates from Mar Ivanios College.[224] The marriage took place in a private ceremony at Kovalam on 22 December 2018.[225] The wedding reception took place in Nalanchira on the same day with the only notable cricketer to attend being Sanju's former coach and mentor, Rahul Dravid.[226]
Commercial endorsements
Samson has been sponsored by the brands like MRF (2014-2015),[227][228] Kookaburra (2019-2020),[229][230] SS (2016-2019; 2020–2021)[231] and SG (2021-present). He has endorsed other brands - including Bharatpe,[232] Puma,[231] Myfab11,[233] Baseline Ventures,[234] Club Mahindra,[235] Haeal[236] and Gillette.[237]
Notes
- Riyan Parag later broke this record during 2019 IPL.[160][161][162]
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