He is seen as the next biggest thing in Kerala. Sanju Samson is a fine wicket-keeper batsman, who is sound in technique, both with bat and behind the stumps. He made his first-class debut at the age of 17 for Kerala against Vidarbha.
He made an impact almost immediately as he scored two hundreds and a fifty in five appearances the next season.
He was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2012 but he did not get a game. It was for the Rajasthan Royals that Samson made a name for himself in the IPL.
He was sent to the UAE to represent the country in the Under-19 World Cup and he did not disappoint the selectors.
He was the top run-getter for India and was the only player in the side to hit three fifties.
Stan-in head coach VVS Laxman, who has been brought in to fill Rahul Dravid's shoes only for the ongoing New Zealand tour
He has been immensely criticised by fans for the lack of opportunities Sanju Samson has been given across the two limited-overs series.
The India star was benched through the T20Is and managed only one appearance in two ODIs.
However, former India cricketer Murali Kartik has jumped to Laxman's defense amid the ongoing criticisms.
Samson was not picked for the T20I series owing to “strategic reasons” as explained by captain Hardik Pandya after the series ended last week.