When it comes to prominent Indian wicketkeeper-batsmen in the Indian Premier League (IPL), one thinks of MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, and Rishabh Pant. However, another name belongs to the aforementioned elite list: Sanju Samson.
Samson has stamped his reputation as one of the biggest names in IPL over the years and his exploits with the bat in the cash-rich league has helped him earn both an ODI and a T20I cap for the Indian national team.
Even though the sheer competition for places has meant that the Kerala-born batsman hasn't nailed down a regular spot in the Indian playing XI, his audacious stroke-play and an ability to switch gears without hassle make him a big player in the Indian Premier League.
Here's everything you need to know about Sanju Samson's history in IPL, batting stats, captaincy numbers, and how he has become a cornerstone of Rajasthan Royals (RR) over the last decade.
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Sanju Samson IPL team
Samson was born to play for Rajasthan Royals in IPL. He made his debut with the 2008 champions in the 2013 edition and was an instant hit as he played some useful knocks.
In 2016, he was bought by Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and played two seasons over there before returning to the team that gave him the platform to make his case as a young prodigy: Rajasthan Royals. He has been with RR ever since and led them to the 2022 IPL final.
Has Sanju Samson ever won an IPL?
It must be noted that Samson was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad which won the 2012 IPL title. However, Samson never made an appearance in the tournament.
The closest Samson has come to lifting the IPL trophy during the 10 years he has played in this tournament was in 2022, when Rajasthan Royals locked horns against tournament debutants Gujarat Titans (GT).
However, GT became the champions. It was a tough pill to digest for the Rajasthan outfit, who were appearing in their first IPL final since the inaugural edition in 2008, and more so for Samson as he was the captain of the losing side.
Sanju Samson IPL stats
Ever since making his debut in 2013, Samson has been a regular fixture in the playing XI in all the 11 seasons (including the ongoing one) and has proved to be one of the more consistent middle-order batsmen in IPL.
He has scored less than 300 runs in a single season only thrice in 11 seasons, and has scored 300+ runs for seven straight seasons including the current one.
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | 100s | H.S. | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 151 | 3886 | 29.44 | 137.27 | 20 | 3 | 119 | 182 |
Sanju Samson IPL history
Samson was a part of KKR's youth development project since 2009 and was picked by the Kolkata-based franchise in 2012, when he was just 17 years old.
However, he did not get a chance to play for KKR as they would eventually be crowned the champions of the 2012 season. He was released ahead of the IPL 2013 auctions.
RR were aware of Samson's potential after the wicketkeeper-batsman attended their trials in January 2013 and did not miss the opportunity to snap him up in the auctions.
He made his debut on April 14, 2013, against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) after first-choice wicketkeeper Dishant Yagnik could not recover in time for the match.
In his second match, against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Samson scored his maiden IPL fifty, scoring 63 runs off 41 deliveries to help his team register a four-wicket win. He became the then-youngest player to score a fifty in IPL century at 18 years and 169 days, a record that stood for six years before another Rajasthan Royals player eclipsed Samson's record: Riyan Parag scored his maiden IPL half-century against Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2019, aged 17 years and 175 days.
He won the Best Young Player of IPL 2013 for scoring 206 runs in 11 games at an average of 25.75.
After Rajasthan was expelled from the league for two years after being found guilty in a match-fixing and illegal betting investigation, DC signed Samson in 2016.
He returned to RR when their two-year suspension ended in 2018 and has been their star man ever since. In IPL 2020, in a game against Punjab Kings, Samson scored 85 runs off 42 balls and was involved in a game-changing partnership with Rahul Tewatia to help RR chase down 224 runs, which is the highest-ever run chase in IPL history.
Ahead of the 2021 season, Samson was named the skipper of RR. In his very first match as captain, against Punjab Kings, Samson scored an unbeaten 119, although in a losing cause, and became the first-ever IPL captain to score a century on captaincy debut.
In the Qualifier 1 against GT on May 25, 2022, Samson scored 47 off just 26 balls to surpass Ajinkya Rahane as the highest run-getter for RR in IPL. Rahane had scored 2810 runs for RR. Samson now has 3205 runs to his name in RR colours.
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Sanju Samson IPL schedule
If Rajasthan Royals are to make a second successive appearance in the playoffs, they will need to win their next three games given how crowded the table is in the middle. You can see the latest odds for the 2023 tournament right here via Dafabet.
Here is the full group schedule that Samson and Co. will have to negotiate in order to reach the playoffs.
Rajasthan Royals IPL 2023 schedule
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| April 2 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (A) | Won by 72 runs |
| April 5 | Punjab Kings (Neutral) | Lost by 5 runs |
| April 8 | Delhi Capitals (Neutral) | Won by 57 runs |
| April 12 | Chennai Super Kings (A) | Won by 3 runs |
| April 16 | Gujarat Titans (A) | Won by 3 wickets |
| April 19 | Lucknow Super Giants (H) | Lost by 10 runs |
| April 23 | Royal Challengers Bangalore (A) | Lost by 7 runs |
| April 27 | Chennai Super Kings (H) | Won by 32 runs |
| April 30 | Mumbai Indians (A) | Lost by 6 wickets |
| May 5 | Gujarat Titans (H) | Lost by 9 wickets |
| May 7 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (H) | Lost by 4 wickets |
| May 11 | Kolkata Knight Riders (A) | Won by 9 wickets |
| May 14 | Royal Challengers Bangalore (H) | - |
| May 19 | Punjab Kings (A) | - |
*All teams play 14 games, not all sides play each other both home and away.
