Sanju Samson Biography: Age, Height, Centuries, Wife & Cricket Career

Sanju Samson has never fit neatly into standard cricketing molds. For nearly a decade, Indian cricket fans treated him as a point of national debate. One camp saw a naturally gifted stroke-maker capable of hitting fast bowling off the back foot with rare elegance. The other saw an inconsistent accumulator whose shot selection cost him permanent national selection.

That back-and-forth ended in late 2024.

Sent out to open against Bangladesh at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, Samson smashed 111 off 47 deliveries. Weeks later in Durban, he walked out against South Africa and hammered 107 off 50 balls. Two matches, two hundreds. He became the first Indian batter to record consecutive centuries in Twenty20 Internationals. That double strike did more than settle debates; it confirmed what Rajasthan Royals backers had insisted on ever since handing him the captaincy in 2021.

Sanju Samson Quick Biography Facts

Delhi Roots, Family Sacrifices, and the Move South

Pulluvila is a quiet coastal village situated south of Vizhinjam in southern Kerala. Samson was born there on 11 November 1994 into a Latin Catholic family, but he did not grow up near the Arabian Sea. His father, Samson Viswanath, was a police constable with the Delhi Police and an accomplished athlete who played football for Delhi in the Santosh Trophy. The family lived in government quarters in GTB Nagar, North Delhi.

Samson went to Rosary Senior Secondary School and practiced at the DL DAV Model School academy in Shalimar Bagh under coach Yashpal. He showed sharp reflexes early. Yet when Delhi selectors overlooked him for the Under-13 Dhruv Pandove Trophy squad, his father took a radical step. Convinced that northern selection politics would stall his sons’ cricket, Samson Viswanath took voluntary retirement from the police force, packed up his household, and moved the family back to Thiruvananthapuram.

It was a massive financial gamble.

In Kerala, Samson enrolled at St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School in Kadakampally. Daily training shifted to the Medical College Ground in Thiruvananthapuram, where his father ran fielding drills for hours. The move worked. Samson rapidly climbed Kerala’s age-group ranks, captaining state Under-16 and Under-19 squads while racking up centuries against regional rivals. Later, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Mar Ivanios College.

Ranji Breakthrough and Building the Rajasthan Royals Empire

At age 17, Samson walked into Kerala’s Ranji Trophy lineup against Vidarbha in November 2011. Two seasons later, he finished as Kerala’s top run-scorer with 530 runs at an average of 58.88, including a double hundred against Himachal Pradesh. State selectors knew they had a rare talent.

IPL scouts noticed too.

Kolkata Knight Riders had Samson in their squad in 2012 without playing him. Ahead of the 2013 season, Rahul Dravid brought him to Rajasthan Royals. Pressed into action against Kings XI Punjab when Dishant Yagnik picked up an injury, Samson looked at home from his first delivery. In his next outing, he scored 63 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, becoming the then-youngest half-centurion in IPL history. He closed 2013 with 206 runs and collected the Emerging Player of the Year award.

When the Royals faced a two-year suspension in 2016 and 2017, Samson moved to Delhi Daredevils. There he struck his first IPL century—a 63-ball 102 against Rising Pune Supergiant. But Jaipur remained his sporting home. Rajasthan bought him back at the 2018 mega auction, and ahead of the 2021 campaign, appointed him team captain.

In 2022, Samson captained the Royals into their first IPL final in 14 years. Partnering with dynamic young hitters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Samson encouraged an unselfish, high-intent approach. He remains Rajasthan Royals’ all-time top run-getter with more than 4,200 runs to his name.

The International Grind and Historic T20I Centuries

Breaking into India’s national squad proved far more complex than dominating the IPL. Samson debuted against Zimbabwe at Harare on 19 July 2015, scoring 19. Then he waited. And waited.

Four and a half years passed before he received another T20I cap against Sri Lanka in early 2020. India’s wicketkeeper slots were crowded, and occasional reckless dismissals gave selectors easy justification to rotate him out. Samson stayed true to his attacking instincts rather than padding his batting average with defensive blocks.

In 50-over cricket, Samson proved his tactical maturity in December 2023 at Boland Park in Paarl. Walking in at number three during a high-stakes series decider against South Africa, he compiled a masterfully paced 108 off 114 deliveries, guiding India to a 78-run win and a 2-1 series victory.

Six months later, Samson was in the Caribbean and the United States as part of India’s 15-man squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He did not break into the starting eleven during the tournament, but celebrated India’s final victory in Barbados alongside world-class teammates including Jasprit Bumrah and left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The squad returned home to New Delhi for a state reception with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.

The turning point arrived in October 2024. Backed as a full-time T20I opener, Samson exploded against Bangladesh in Hyderabad, striking 111 off 47 deliveries with eight sixes. He followed that up immediately in Durban against South Africa, blasting 107 off 50 balls with 10 sixes. To cap off that incredible run, he struck an unbeaten 109 off 56 deliveries at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, stitching together a historic unbroken 210-run second-wicket partnership with Tilak Varma. Samson ended 2024 with three T20I centuries in a single calendar year.

Personal Life and Social Roots

Outside cricket, Samson keeps a low profile in Thiruvananthapuram. He married his college companion Charulatha Remesh on 22 December 2018 in a private ceremony at Kovalam under the Special Marriage Act. The two had met while studying at Mar Ivanios College.

Unlike many modern athletes who plaster their personal earnings across social feeds, Samson rarely discusses finances. Online portals frequently guess his net worth at between ₹40 crore and ₹80 crore, but no verified public audit or tax filing exists; his actual private wealth remains unverified.

Sanju Samson Social Media Presence & Verified Accounts

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sanju Samson’s height?
Sanju Samson is 170 cm tall, which is approximately 5 feet 7 inches.

How old is Sanju Samson?
Born on 11 November 1994, Sanju Samson is 31 years old as of November 2026.

Where was Sanju Samson born?
He was born in Pulluvila, a coastal hamlet south of Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.

Who is Sanju Samson’s wife?
Sanju Samson is married to Charulatha Remesh. The two met while attending Mar Ivanios College and tied the knot on 22 December 2018 in Kovalam.

What is Sanju Samson’s record in T20 Internationals?
Samson is the first Indian batsman to score consecutive centuries in T20 Internationals, hitting 111 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad and 107 against South Africa in Durban in late 2024. He concluded 2024 with three T20I hundreds.

Which IPL team does Sanju Samson captain?
Sanju Samson captains Rajasthan Royals. He led the franchise to the 2022 IPL final and is the franchise’s all-time leading run-scorer.