Sanju Viswanath Samson is an Indian international cricketer who plays as a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. He represents Kerala in domestic cricket and the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he serves as captain. He has also captained the Indian national team in Twenty20 International matches.
| Full name | Sanju Viswanath Samson |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 November 1994, Pulluvila, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Role | Wicket-keeper batsman |
| Domestic team | Kerala |
| IPL team | Rajasthan Royals (captain) |
| Father | Samson Viswanath (former police constable) |
| International debut (T20I) | 2015, vs Zimbabwe |
| International debut (ODI) | 2021, vs Sri Lanka |
| International debut (Test) | Yet to debut (as of his career to date) |
Samson was born in Pulluvila, a coastal village in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. His father, Samson Viswanath, was a Delhi Police constable who later left his job to support his sons' cricket careers. The family relocated within Kerala to allow Sanju to pursue cricket more seriously, and he received early coaching in Thiruvananthapuram. He attended Rosary Higher Secondary School and St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School in the city.
He came into prominence at the age of 13 when he scored heavily in age-group cricket. He captained the Kerala under-19 side and was part of the India under-19 squad before breaking into senior domestic cricket.
Samson made his first-class debut for Kerala in the Ranji Trophy in 2011. He has since been a regular fixture in the state side across formats and has at various points captained Kerala in domestic competitions, including the Ranji Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. His prolific run-scoring in white-ball domestic cricket has been central to Kerala's improved performances in national tournaments.
Samson was first signed by the Rajasthan Royals in 2013, and made his IPL debut as a teenager. After the Royals were suspended for two seasons (2016 and 2017) following the spot-fixing controversy, he played for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in those years. He returned to Rajasthan when the franchise was reinstated for the 2018 season.
He was appointed captain of the Rajasthan Royals from the 2021 IPL season, succeeding Steve Smith. Under his captaincy, Rajasthan reached the final of the 2022 IPL, where they lost to the Gujarat Titans. He has scored multiple centuries in the IPL and is among a small group of batters with three or more hundreds in the tournament.
Samson made his Twenty20 International debut for India in July 2015 against Zimbabwe in Harare. His progress to regular international selection was, however, gradual, and he spent several years on the fringes of the squad despite consistent domestic and IPL performances.
He made his One Day International debut in July 2021 against Sri Lanka in Colombo. In T20Is, he scored his maiden century against South Africa, becoming one of the few Indian batters to register a T20I hundred.
Samson was part of the India squad that won the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and the United States. Following the tournament, with senior players retiring from T20Is, he became a first-choice opener and wicket-keeper in the format. He scored consecutive T20I centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa in late 2024, becoming the first Indian to record back-to-back T20I hundreds. He has also captained the Indian T20I side in selected series.
Samson is regarded as a stroke-maker with a wide range of shots on both sides of the wicket. He is particularly noted for his ability to clear the ground straight and through the off side, and for his timing against pace bowling. As a wicket-keeper he stands up to medium-pace and spin in the shorter formats.
Samson married Charulatha in 2018. He is based in Thiruvananthapuram and has been associated with several social and developmental initiatives in Kerala, including support for coastal communities in his home district.
Samson is among the most prominent cricketers from Kerala to play for India, a state historically under-represented in the national side. His emergence has coincided with greater visibility for Kerala cricket at the domestic level. As Rajasthan Royals captain and a leader in the Indian T20I set-up, he occupies a significant role in the post-2024 transition phase of Indian limited-overs cricket.