Sanju Samson Success Story: A Journey  of Determination , Glory and Achievements

Sanju Viswanath Samson, born on November 11, 1994, in the coastal village of Pulluvila near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is one of Indian cricket’s most dynamic and exciting talents. A right-handed wicket-keeper-batter with the ability to take on the opposition with fearlessness and flair, Samson has become a household name in both domestic and international cricket. 

His career has had its ups and downs, but his rise to the top, especially in limited-overs cricket, shows his incredible talent and unbreakable spirit.

Going by 2024 information then, Sanju Samson is one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen in India and currently playing at the international and also Indian Premiere League (IPL). Samson, who is famous for his great foot work, split second wrist movement behind the wickets and explosive big hitting, has emerged as a pure T20 cricketer. 

Sanju Samson- Early Life and the Beginning of Cricket Career

Sanju was born into a Malayali Christian family in Delhi, raised by his father Samson Viswanath, a former Santosh Trophy player for Delhi. Sanju has grown up in Delhi and his initiation to the world of sports started off through his father who used to play football and however his true passion was always with cricket.

He started playing cricket at the age of 11, with Delhi Cricket Academy while Yashpal was his mentor that timeframe has discovered his mighty batting side. But his early career was short-lived in Delhi, which he left for Kerala after his father, a policeman, retired from his job.

In Kerala he began playing in the Masters cricket club in Thiruvananthapuram before moving to another academy under Biju George. That is where the talent of Sanju for cricket came out in the open and he got selected in the U-13 and U-16 tournaments. 

From 2008 onwards he was on the radar of the cricket selectors of Kerala as a very promising junior player to dominate the age-group tournaments frequently.

His breakthrough moment came when he scored 973 runs in the KSCA Inter-State U-13 tournament, an achievement that won him the Player of the Tournament award.

Sanju’s talent did not go unnoticed, and by the time he reached the U-19 level, he was already playing for Kerala’s senior team in domestic cricket. Despite a few setbacks, including not making it into the Indian U-19 squad for the 2012 World Cup, Sanju continued to showcase his potential in age-group and domestic cricket.

Sanju Samson- Domestic Career: From Promise to Fulfillment

Samson’s domestic cricket really began when he was promoted to the first-class cricket for the Kerala team in the year 2011. His big acting entry began during the 2013/14 campaign of peripherals Ranji Trophy by netting 211 runs in a match against Assam. 

It was a defining period of his career; he finally came into his own as an aggressive domestic cricket player. After that he started to prove himself a main stay for Kerala when it came to batting as well as wicket keeping.

The next year in the Ranji trophy of 2014-15 Samson still went on to answer with the willow scoring the second consecutive first class double hundred. He was performing consistently for the Kerala team and thus he was selected in to the South Zone camp for this year’s Deodhar trophy and so he is a main stay for the Kerala team in all forms.

But it was not a smooth ride for him at all. All the same, there were some off-years in his career, which can be recorded in domestic cricket, though he was an outstanding performer. However, his coming back into form in the Ranji Trophy in the season 2017-18 was good enough to prove his mettle that he possesses the temperament to deliver under pressure as he played a memorable knock in the quarter final of Kerala. 

Sanju Samson- Breakthrough in the IPL: The Rise of a Star

Sanju Samson signed for the Rajasthan Royals in the seventh edition of the IPL and tasted success in the tournament for the first time. However, there was a relatively fresh addition to the team before the start of the season and without any doubt, Samson proved himself through his performance. 

His second IPL match revealed what a brilliant player he is; he made a healthy 63 in 41; and he was the youngest player to make a fifty in IPL record.

He looked like a player capable of playing fearless cricket from the word go which makes him an attractive prospect for the future.

Despite the fact that Rajasthan Royals did not do well in the 2012 IPL and Samson played only minor role, the later IPL season of 2014 made him emerge from the shadows of `non-entity’. He made 339 runs in the season under consideration and what stood out was his potential to derive a large total together with the potential of, wisely, manufacturing quick runs when the conditions called for it, at appropriate times. 

After Rajasthan was given a two year ban from the tournament, Samson joined Delhi Capitals team and from there his progress shot up. The first IPL century came in 2017 against Rising Pune Supergiants, it was the match in which Samson definitely wanted the world to know that he belongs to IPL’s elite crop of youthful cricketing talents.

But it was his coming back to Rajasthan Royals in the season of 2018 that become a new chapter in his IPL career. In the successive seasons, Samson was rightly in the middle-order of Royals and he came up with Indies to dominate the middle of Royals batting order where he produced many match-winning knocks. 

His supervisory abilities were beginning to emerge, too. He was given the cap of captain of Rajasthan Royals in 2021, and as a captain of the team, the Royals was able to enter the final of the IPL though it finished as the second best.

Sanju Samson- International Career: A Journey of Resilience and Redemption

Sanju Samson’s international debut came in 2015 when he was selected for the T20I series against Zimbabwe. Though he did not make a significant impact in his early appearances, his potential was never in question. However, it was only in 2021 that he got his much-awaited ODI debut against Sri Lanka. 

Samson’s performances in the shorter formats were often inconsistent, but his ability to play fearless cricket—especially in high-pressure situations—was always evident.

In 2024, Samson’s fortunes seemed to take a positive turn. He was a part of the Indian squad that won the ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA. Although he did not feature in any matches during the tournament, his inclusion in the squad demonstrated the faith that the selectors had in his ability.

One of the most defining moments of his international career came in 2023, when he scored his maiden ODI century against South Africa. In that match, he demonstrated immense composure and skill, playing a key role in India’s series-clinching victory. This century was followed by his record-breaking T20I performances in 2024, where he became the first Indian wicket-keeper to score a century in T20 internationals. 

His remarkable achievement of scoring three centuries in T20Is in a calendar year set a new benchmark for Indian cricket, cementing his place as one of the finest T20 players in the world.

Sanju Samson- The IPL Legacy and Beyond

Sanju Samson is also an example of a strong contender and performer in the Indian Premier League, he continues to perform for his team and has always been spotted bearing major responsibilities when the situation demands it. Till the year 2024, Samson has 4450+ runs in IPL having performed crucial knocks and centuries as well. It means that he has guided Rajasthan Royals into one of the most formidable sides in the competition which made its come to final in 2022 as one of the greatest moments in his IPL captaincy.

Sanju got his best back in IPL 2024 season where played his best knock with the bat scoring 531 runs in 16 matches. 

His performance allowed Rajasthan Royals to place in top three but they were eliminated in the Qualifier 2. This journey of Samson in IPL has been gradual increment, from being budding talents to being one of the main wicket-keeper-batter of the IPL.

Sanju Samson- IPL Performance Summary

Sanju Samson- IPL Salary Summary

Sanju Samson- Hobbies etc Apart From Cricket

Apart from the football pitch, Sanju is a quite calculated and standard professional man. He is married to his longtime partner, Charulatha Remesh, and the two have been very settled in their marriage since 2018. Apart from cricket, Samson has also lent support to some social issues and is a leading advocate of sports in Kerala.

 In the year 2018 he entered into the social welfare arena and setup Six Guns Sports Academy for providing cricket and football talents.

He is also the brand icon of the Kerala Blasters FC, the Indian Super League Football Club. It is not weird seeing him having close contact with footballing since he has a footballing father and he also loves the game.

Conclusion

This however is the story of Sanju Samson; hardworking, focus, and personally committed to achieving the best even in the toughest situations. Kerala born and bred, Sanju Samson’s journey has been quite incredible – from his struggle in the early days in the backyard of cricket to the stardom of domestic cricket and IPL.

His performances on the field speak volumes about his talent, while his leadership and off-field contributions make him one of the most respected figures in Indian cricket.