Indian wicketkeeper Sanju Samson has become the most expensive player in the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) after Kochi Blue Tigers went all out for him at the player auction.
Sanju Samson made history by becoming the highest-paid player in the KCL auction. Kochi Blue Tigers, with only ₹50 lakh left in the bank, signed the Rajasthan Royals skipper for ₹26.80 lakh a record amount in the tournament. Sanju, who will be playing his first KCL season, is expected to lead the Kochi Blue Tigers this year.
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Why Sanju Samson Missed the Inaugural KCL T20?
Sanju Samson has been away from the Kerala Cricket Association for a while, as he chose not to participate in Kerala’s domestic competitions despite the BCCI mandate. This decision attracted criticism from the board. Additionally, national team commitments led him to skip the inaugural KCL in 2024.
“Sanju has been playing nonstop cricket from March to July. Two months of IPL plus the T20 World Cup have been taxing. Even after the World Cup, he was part of the Indian T20 teams touring Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. So, Sanju asked the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) officials for a break. His name was also not listed in the player auction,” KCA officials about his absence.
Months after the criticism, Sanju suffered an injury, which caused him to miss the 2025 Champions Trophy for India and the first few matches of IPL 2025. Now fully recovered, he entered the KCL T20 auction.
SRH batter Vishnu Vinod Signed as Second Most Expensive Player in KCL T20
Kochi Blue Tigers risked half their budget, just ₹50 lakh in total, to secure Sanju Samson, despite tough competition from other teams.
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Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad player Vishnu Vinod was signed by defending champions Aries Kollam for ₹13.8 lakh, making him the second most expensive player in the KCL T20 2025.
