A stylish wicket-keeper batsman with sound technique, Sanju Samson is easily Kerala's most popular sportsperson at the moment. The ability to play all types of shots against even the best fast bowling attack in the world makes him stand out. His impeccable strike rate and hand-eye coordination have won Sanju fans including champion cricketers from around the globe. His temperament, especially the inability to convert some of the incredible starts into big scores, has been a worry though.

 

Born at Pullulluvila near Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram district, Sanju had learnt the basics of the game during his early days in New Delhi, where his father was working as a police constable.

However, it was after returning to the state capital that he started making strides. He made his first class debut at the age of 17 against Vidarbha and the international Twenty20 debut in 2015 against Zimbabwe.

 

Sanju's aggressive style and ability to play lofted shots made him a T20 hit, particularly in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kolkata Knight Riders contracted him in the 2012 season, but he did not get the chance to excel there. The right-handed batsman shifted his allegiance to Rajasthan Royals in 2013 and did well. He joined Delhi Daredevils in 2016 after RR were banned after a probe found them guilty in a match-fixing and betting case, but returned to Rajasthan in 2018. It turned out to be a very productive move. He scored his second IPL century the following season and a 32-ball 74 against Chennai Super Kings in 2020. He led Rajasthan to the highest successful run chase in IPL history with a 42-ball 85 against Kings XI Punjab.

 

Rajasthan Royals named Sanju the captain ahead of the 2021 IPL. They went on to play the finals and finished as runners-up under his leadership. Considering his natural talent, Sanju was once touted to become the successor of M S Dhoni, but his game hasn't really gone up the way it should have.

Sanju is working with Bharat Petroleum, Thiruvananthapuram. To help aspiring cricketers and footballers, he launched the Six Guns Sports Academy in Kerala's capital city in 2018.
Sanju married his long time girlfriend, Charulatha Ramesh, at a private function in Thiruvananthapuram on December 22, 2018. They were college mates at the Mar Ivanios College.