Sanju Samson is an Indian international cricketer from Kerala who plays as a right-handed wicketkeeper-batter. He has represented India in international cricket and established himself as one of the prominent Indian wicketkeeper-batters in the T20 format. The ICC lists Samson as a wicketkeeper and records his international career as beginning in 2015.

Samson developed through Kerala’s domestic cricket system before making his name in the Indian Premier League. His attacking batting, wicketkeeping ability and experience in T20 cricket have made him a regular part of discussions around India’s limited-overs squads.

His IPL career has included a long association with Rajasthan Royals, where he became captain and one of the franchise’s leading run-scorers. Ahead of IPL 2026, Samson was traded to Chennai Super Kings, beginning a new phase of his IPL career.

Sanju Samson’s Role

Samson’s primary role is wicketkeeper-batter. As a batter, he is known for attacking strokeplay, six-hitting and the ability to score quickly in the powerplay and middle overs. His wicketkeeping gives his teams another option behind the stumps.

Sanju Samson made his international debut for India in 2015. Over the following years, he continued to compete for opportunities in India’s limited-overs setup, particularly in T20 cricket.

His international career has included periods of regular selection as well as competition for places in India’s wicketkeeper-batter group. The ICC’s player profile records his international career through 2026.

Samson’s ability to combine wicketkeeping with aggressive batting has remained an important part of his international profile. His T20 performances became especially significant during India’s 2026 campaign.

Sanju Samson and India’s T20 Cricket

In the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Samson produced a major tournament campaign for India. According to the ICC, he scored 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37, including scores of 97 not out, 89 and 89 in India’s final three matches. He was named Player of the Tournament.

The tournament became one of the defining international periods of Samson’s career and strengthened his record in India’s T20 setup.

Sanju Samson has built a substantial IPL career over more than a decade. He first appeared in the tournament with Rajasthan Royals before also representing Delhi Daredevils and later returning to Rajasthan.

His most significant IPL chapter came with Rajasthan Royals, where he developed into a senior batter and captain. He became one of the franchise’s most recognisable players and was central to their batting lineup for several seasons.

Ahead of IPL 2026, Samson moved from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings as part of a major player trade. The IPL’s official trade announcement confirmed the 2026 trade activity, while subsequent coverage identified Samson’s move to CSK as one of the major changes before the season.

Sanju Samson at Chennai Super Kings

Samson’s first IPL season with Chennai Super Kings brought immediate attention. During IPL 2026, he scored an unbeaten 115 from 56 balls against Delhi Capitals, becoming the first CSK wicketkeeper to score an IPL century and setting the franchise’s highest score by a designated wicketkeeper at the time, according to contemporary reporting.

He also scored an unbeaten 101 from 54 balls against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium as CSK recorded a 103-run victory. The official IPL match report confirms Samson’s unbeaten century in CSK’s 207/6 total.

Samson is a right-handed batter whose game is built around attacking strokeplay. He can use the crease effectively and is particularly dangerous when he gets opportunities to attack during the powerplay and middle overs.

His six-hitting ability has been one of the defining features of his T20 batting. Samson has also demonstrated the ability to convert starts into substantial scores when he settles at the crease.

As a wicketkeeper, Samson provides his teams with an additional specialist skill. The combination of wicketkeeping and aggressive batting has allowed him to contribute in multiple phases of a T20 match.

His batting evolution has also been analysed in detail, including changes that have helped him become particularly effective against spin.

Sanju Samson and Rohit Sharma have both played important roles in India’s limited-overs cricket setup. Their profiles represent different stages and styles of India’s modern white-ball batting group, with Samson combining wicketkeeping with aggressive batting.

Read the complete Rohit Sharma cricket profile for his career, records, statistics, achievements and international journey.