Sanju Samson becomes KCL's most expensive player: Details here
What's the story
Sanju Samson, the captain of Rajasthan Royals, has become the most expensive player in Kerala Cricket League (KCL) history. He was bought by Kochi Blue Tigers for a whopping ₹26.8 lakh at the KCL Auction on Saturday. The amount is way higher than the previous record of ₹7.4 lakh paid by Trivandrum Royals for M.S. Akhil. Here are further details.
Auction details
Bidding war for Samson
Samson was part of the 39-player Category A pool in the KCL auction. He was listed with a base price of ₹3 lakh, which quickly escalated to ₹5 lakh and then ₹10 lakh as teams vied for his signature. Kochi Blue Tigers eventually won the bidding war, spending more than half their ₹50 lakh budget on signing him.
Performance review
Samson hopes to bounce back
Samson had a truncated IPL 2025 season, playing only nine matches due to injury. He scored 285 runs at a strike rate of 140.39, including one half-century. Now, he hopes to make the most of this opportunity in KCL after his limited participation in the last IPL season.
Previous commitments
Brand ambassador of KCL
Samson had opted out of the first edition of KCL last year, even after being named its brand ambassador. He had prioritized his international commitments over the league. However, this time around, he will be making his debut in a tournament run by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA).
Stats
Decoding his T20 numbers
Coming to Samson's overall numbers in the T20 format, he has smashed 7,629 runs from 304 matches at at an average of 29.68 (SR: 137.01). His tally includes 48 fifties besides six tons. The batter boasts 4,704 runs in the IPL at an average of 30.94 (50s: 26, 100s: 3). Samson has only played 42 T20Is, scoring 861 runs at an average of 25.32 and a strike rate of 152.38.