Sanju Samson Biography: Life, Career, and the Rise of Kerala’s Cricket Icon

Last Updated: Mar 5, 2026, 17:37 IST

Sanju Samson is a dynamic Indian wicket-keeper batter known for his elegant strokeplay and power-hitting. Rising from Kerala’s domestic circuit, he has become a mainstay in India’s T20I and ODI setups, notably becoming the first Indian to score three T20I centuries in a single calendar year (2024).

Sanju Viswanath Samson (born Sanju Samson on 11 November 1994, Pulluvila, Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala) is a wicket-keeper of the Indian cricket team with the right hand. 

A king of the gracious stroke, a pure hitter and a level-headed tempera, he has been shooting up the Indian domestic ladder to join India in the 2024 ICC Men T20 World Cup and 2025 Asia Cup victories.

Sanju Samson’s Early Life and Education

Sanju Samson is born in a humble family; his father Viswanath was an ex-naval officer who retired to take care of his son in cricket and moved the family to Kerala rather than Delhi. 

He started his education in Rosary Senior Secondary School in Delhi and later transferred to St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School in Thiruvananthapuram where he studied and practiced cricket.

Samson was a top scholar, attaining a Bachelor of degree (English Literature) in Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram. This literary background has been reported to help him in his critical way of looking at the game, as he was a student during the years of intense training.

How Did Sanju Samson’s Cricket Career Begin?

Samson first played Kerala in the first class when he was 17 years old and immediately proved himself by hitting two centuries and a fifty in the next season. He had the highest number of run-scores in the 2014 ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup with three fifties and overall came sixth in the tournament.

His home-country leadership was climaxed with an unbroken 212 off 129 balls in the 201920 Vijay Hazare Trophy - the highest List A score made by an Indian wicket-keeper, the second-fastest Indian List A double-century.

IPL Journey

Having played more than 320 matches, including six centuries, with a highest score of 119 off 63 balls in 2021, Samson made his IPL debut in 2013 with Rajasthan Royals. 

He played as the captain of Royals (2021-2024) and then transferred to Chennai Super Kings, where he demonstrated as a leader and an explosion-batter.

FOR YOU: List of Centuries in T20 World Cup (2007-2026)

International Career

Samson made his T20Is debut against Zimbabwe in 2015 and ODIs in 2023. In 2024, he earned three T20I centuries, including 111 off 47 vs Bangladesh (second-fastest by an Indian), and two 107 and 109* vs South Africa to become the first Indian to score three T20I tons in one calendar year, and the third-most in Indian history.

Sanju Samson: Key Records and Stats

The figures of Samson show that he is good at white balls, having no Test caps so far.

Format

Matches

Innings

Runs

Highest

Average

Strike Rate

100s/50s

4s/6s

Catches/Stumpings

ODI

16

14

510

108*

56.67

99.61

1/3

34/22

9/2

T20I

60

52

1,221

111

25.98

151.87

3/4

102/69

40/7

IPL

185+

-

4,000+

119

30+

136+

3/20+

-

100+/20+

He possesses such records as the most T20I centuries a year by any Indian and is an excellent keeper with quick skills.

New Highlights and Awards

Samson (2024-2025) was the star of the India victory in the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup and his tons against South Africa played a central role. 

The features of IPL are regular fifties and captaining tenures; prizes in domestic player awards and IPL Orange Cap contention periods.

Samson has a low-profile existence in terms of faith and fitness since getting married to Amrita Suresh in 2018. His tale of rising in Kerala to global star represents the idea of perseverance making him the future backbone of the Indian limited-overs team possessing timing, power, and reliability.

ALSO READ: Highest Run Chase in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup by India

Kirti Sharma
Kirti Sharma

Content Writer

Kirti Sharma is a content writing professional with 3 years of experience in the EdTech Industry and Digital Content. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and worked with companies like ThoughtPartners Global, Infinite Group, and MIM-Essay. Apart from writing, she's a baking enthusiast and home baker. As a Content Writer at Jagran New Media, she writes for the General Knowledge section of JagranJosh.com.

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First Published: Mar 5, 2026, 17:37 IST

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