Gautam Gambhir Achieves Historic Milestone with Two ICC Trophies as Coach
India has achieved history in the T20 format, winning the T20 World Cup for the third time. But it is not just the Indian team which made history in this tournament. Even the Head Coach, Gautam Gambhir, created history by becoming the only Indian coach to win two ICC trophies in his tenure.
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International career
Sanju Viswanath Samson was born on 11 November 1994 in Kerala. He bats right-handed and also keeps wickets. He plays for India in limited-overs cricket and leads Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and Kerala in domestic matches.
Sanju joined the Indian team in 2015 during the T20 series in Zimbabwe, but did not play any matches then. Later, he made his official T20 international debut. He became the first Indian wicket-keeper to score a century in T20 internationals. In 2024, he scored three centuries in T20 internationals within one year, a record for any player. He also scored two centuries in a row in T20 internationals, which no other Indian has done.
His One Day International debut came in 2021 against Sri Lanka. On 21 December 2023, Sanju made his first ODI century against South Africa in the third match of that series.
Before this, he was the vice-captain of India’s Under-19 team in the 2014 World Cup. Sanju began his cricket journey in Delhi but later moved to Kerala. He played his first-class match for Kerala in 2011. He started playing in the Indian Premier League for Rajasthan Royals in 2013 and won the Emerging Player award that year. In the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored an unbeaten 212 runs, which was the second-fastest double-century by an Indian in List A cricket.
- 2014
- August: Selected in India’s 17-man squad for ODIs and T20 against England but did not play any match, as he was the backup keeper to MS Dhoni.
- October: Called for a T20 match against West Indies, which was later cancelled.
- December: Named in India’s 30-member probables for the 2015 World Cup but missed the final squad.
- 2015
- July: Joined the Indian squad for the series against Zimbabwe as an injury replacement for Ambati Rayudu.
- July 19: Made T20 International debut vs Zimbabwe at Harare; scored 36 runs in a low-scoring chase, but India lost by 10 runs.
- 2019
- October: Recalled to India’s T20 squad after four years for the series vs Bangladesh, but did not play.
- November: Added to the T20 squad vs West Indies after Shikhar Dhawan’s injury.
- December: Played third T20I vs Sri Lanka, hitting a six but got out on the second ball.
- Later, played the T20I series in New Zealand but scored low runs.
- 2020
- October-November: Named in T20I and ODI squads for series against Australia; played all three T20 matches but did not perform well and was dropped for the next England series.
- 2021
- June-July: Included in ODI and T20I squads for Sri Lanka series.
- July 23: Made ODI debut vs Sri Lanka; scored 46 runs, but India lost.
- Played the T20 series but scored only 34 runs in total; missed the 2021 T20 World Cup due to poor form.
- 2022
- February: Selected for T20 series vs Sri Lanka; scored 39 and 18 in two matches.
- June: Played T20I series vs Ireland; scored maiden T20I fifty (77 off 42) and formed the highest second-wicket partnership (176 runs) for India in T20Is with Deepak Hooda.
- June-July: Named in ODI squad for West Indies series; scored maiden ODI half-century in second match.
- July: Added to T20I squad vs West Indies due to KL Rahul’s COVID; scored 30 and 15.
- Also played ODI series vs Zimbabwe; scored unbeaten 43 and took three catches, awarded man of the match.
- October: Played ODI series vs South Africa; scored unbeaten 86 in the first match despite the team losing.
- December: Selected for T20I series vs Sri Lanka but injured left knee in first match and missed remaining games.
- 2023
- June: Included in ODI and T20I squads for West Indies tour; scored 51 in third ODI but had low scores in T20Is.
- Played T20I series vs Ireland; scored 40 off 26 balls in the second match.
- November 30: Selected for ODI series vs South Africa; scored maiden ODI century (108 off 114) in third match, winning man of the match and helping India win the series.
- 2024
- April 30: Named in India’s squad for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies, which India won.
- October: Played T20I series vs Bangladesh; scored maiden T20I century (111 off 47 balls) in third match, setting records for fastest century by an Indian wicketkeeper-batsman and highest T20I score vs Bangladesh.
- Played T20I series in South Africa; scored centuries in first and fourth matches (107 and unbeaten 109), becoming the first Indian with consecutive T20I centuries and the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a T20I century in South Africa.
- In the fourth match, he and Tilak Varma added a record unbeaten 210-run partnership for the second wicket to reach 283 runs.
- By 15 November 2024, he set a record with three T20I centuries in a calendar year, the most by any batsman.
Leagues Participation
Sanju Samson has played in several major cricket leagues, including the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Champions League T20. He has been a key player for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and has also appeared in the Champions League representing his team.
Indian Premier League
Sanju Samson first joined Kolkata Knight Riders in the player pool before the 2009 IPL but did not play. He was signed by KKR again in 2012 but released before the 2013 season. He made his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals in 2013 and quickly became an important player. Samson was the captain of the Rajasthan Royals from 2021 and led the team with notable performances.
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Year
|
Team
|
Notes
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|
2009
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Kolkata Knight Riders
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Named in the player pool, did not play
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|
2012
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Kolkata Knight Riders
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Signed but did not play, released before 2013
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|
2013–2015
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Rajasthan Royals
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Made IPL debut in 2013, won Emerging Player award in 2013
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2016–2017
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Delhi Capitals
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Played after Rajasthan Royals’ ban; scored maiden T20 century in 2017
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2018–present
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Rajasthan Royals
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Returned to Rajasthan, scored multiple centuries, became captain in 2021; led team to finals in 2022
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Champions League Twenty20
Sanju Samson made his Champions League T20 debut for Rajasthan Royals in 2013. He was the youngest player to score a half-century in the tournament. He played six matches in 2013, scoring three fifties and averaging 39 runs.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2013
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Rajasthan Royals
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Debut, youngest player to score fifty, 3 fifties, averaged 39 runs
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Domestic career
Sanju Samson began his domestic cricket career at a very young age and quickly rose through the ranks. He made his first-class debut for Kerala in November 2011 and his List A debut in February 2012. Before that, he had a strong youth career, captaining Kerala’s under-13, under-16, and under-19 teams, and was the vice-captain of India’s Under-19 team in multiple tournaments. His early performances included a double century in the Vijay Merchant Trophy and strong showings in the Cooch Behar Trophy, which helped him gain entry to the higher levels of domestic cricket.
In the Ranji Trophy, Sanju showed promise by scoring his first century in the 2012–13 season and then a double century in the following year. He became Kerala’s highest run-scorer in the 2013-14 season and earned selection for zonal teams and India A. However, his domestic form was inconsistent at times, including some disciplinary issues. Despite this, he was Kerala’s leading batsman in several seasons and captained the state team from 2015 onward, becoming the youngest captain in Kerala’s Ranji Trophy history.
One of his most notable achievements came in the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he scored an unbeaten 212 runs, the second-fastest double century in List A cricket and the highest score by a wicket-keeper in the format. This innings included a record partnership that helped his team and led to his return to the national team after a gap of several years.
Under his leadership, Kerala reached the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals for the first time, and he also captained the team in domestic T20 and one-day tournaments. In 2022, Samson captained India A in a successful ODI series against New Zealand A, finishing as the top scorer of the series. Throughout his domestic career, Sanju has been known for his aggressive batting and leadership qualities, which have helped him develop into a key player for both his state and the national side.
Records and achievements
Sanju Samson has set many records and won important awards throughout his career. His performances have brought him recognition both in domestic cricket and at the international level. He holds several unique records, especially as a wicketkeeper-batsman and as a captain in the IPL.
- 2013
- Awarded Emerging Player of the IPL season with 206 runs and 13 catches.
- 2019–20
- Scored 212 off 129 balls in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the fastest double century by an Indian in List A cricket and the highest individual score by a wicketkeeper in the format.
- Set the highest partnership record in List A cricket with Sachin Baby.
- 2021
- Became the first IPL captain to score a century on captaincy debut, scoring 119 against Punjab Kings.
- Became the youngest player to reach 2,000 runs in the IPL.
- Became the youngest IPL player to reach 1,000 runs overall.
- Became the IPL captain with the most wins for the Rajasthan Royals (31 wins as of 2024).
- 2024
- Scored three centuries in T20 internationals in a single calendar year, the first player to do so.
- First Indian to score two consecutive centuries in T20 internationals.
- Scored the highest individual T20I score by an Indian wicketkeeper—111 runs off 47 balls against Bangladesh.
- Other career records and milestones
- Holds the record for most centuries by a wicketkeeper in the Ranji Trophy.
- Youngest cricketer to captain a Ranji Trophy team (Kerala).
- Only player to score more than 50 runs in the first match of six consecutive IPL seasons for Rajasthan Royals.
Personal life
Sanju Samson comes from Kerala and has built a steady cricket career while managing his private life quietly. He is married and lives in Thiruvananthapuram, balancing family, finances, and public attention.
Family
Sanju was born on November 11, 1994, into a Malayali Christian family in Pulluvila, Kerala. His father worked as a police constable in Delhi and played football, while his mother is a homemaker. His older brother played junior cricket for Kerala. Sanju spent part of his childhood in Delhi but later moved back to Kerala to continue cricket training. He married his college friend Charulatha Remesh in December 2018.
Finance
In 2025, Sanju’s wealth is estimated at around 80 crore rupees, which is about 10 million US dollars.
Home and Cars
He lives in Thiruvananthapuram and owns several cars, including a Lexus ES 300H, Mitsubishi Pajero Sports, Maruti Suzuki Swift, Range Rover Sports, and Audi A6.
Scandals
Sanju’s career has faced some issues. His father accused some Kerala Cricket Association officials of bias, which he said caused Sanju to miss national team chances. He also criticized well-known Indian players like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni for not giving Sanju enough chances. In 2023, rumors spread that Sanju refused to captain the Chennai Super Kings, but this was later proven false.
Fans
Fans have shown mixed feelings about Sanju’s career. In 2023, many celebrated his selection for the Indian team against West Indies, but in 2024, some expressed disappointment when he was left out despite good performances. Earlier, in 2021, some fans criticized him for poor international form. Sanju has about 67,000 followers on Instagram.
