Sanju Samson becomes Kerala Cricket League’s costliest buy, joins Kochi Blue Tigers for record sum

Sanju Samson joins Kochi Blue Tigers for record sum. (BCCI Photo)

India wicket-keeper batter and Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson became the costliest player in Kerala Cricket League (KCL) history on Saturday. At the Kerala Cricket League auction on July 5, Samson was bought by the Kochi Blue Tigers for Rs. 26.8 lakh.

In a matter of seconds, Samson, who had a base price of Rs 3 lakh, experienced exponential increases to Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh. After a fierce bidding battle, the Kochi Blue Tigers made a record-breaking acquisition of Sanju, spending over half of their Rs 50 lakh purse to bolster their team with the Indian wicketkeeper.

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Samson, 30, smashed the previous Kerala Cricket League (KCL) auction record with this, exceeding the Rs. 7.4 lakh price tag that Trivandrum Royals had previously paid for M.S. Akhil.

The second-highest bid, after Samson, went to Vishnu Vinod, who was acquired by Aries Kollam for Rs 13.8 lakh, while Alleppey Ripples signed experienced all-rounder Jalaj Saxena for Rs 12.4 lakh.

Notably, Sanju will be playing in the Kerala Cricket League for the first time after skipping the tournament's maiden edition last year despite being named its brand ambassador in order to prioritise his international commitments.

Interestingly, this will also be Samson's first major appearance in a Kerala Cricket Association (KCA)-run tournament since he was dropped from the Vijay Hazare Trophy squad in December 2024 for missing a Wayanad preparatory camp.

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Samson last played in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season featuring in nine games because of injuries, scoring 285 runs at a strike rate of 140.39 and only managed one half-century as the Rajasthan Royals finished ninth in the 10-team standings.

This year's IPL put the KCL's first edition in focus when Mumbai Indians signed young left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur for Rs 30 lakh after he excelled in the trials. Additionally, he was taken to South Africa, where he served as net bowler for MI Cape Town.

Alleppey Ripples kept Puthur for the second edition after he was signed for Rs 3.75 lakh in the first season. After suffering an injury halfway through the 2025 Indian Premier League, where he took six wickets in five games for MI, this will be his first competitive appearance.