Kerala Cricket League 2025: Sanju Samson Shatters Bidding Records In Auction, Joins Kochi Blue Tigers For Whopping 26.8 Lakh

Sanju Samson will don the Kochi Blue Tigers shirt after being wrapped up by the franchise for a jaw-dropping INR 26.8 lakh at the Kerala Cricket League 2025 auction. The Rajasthan Royals captain has shattered all previous records and has become the most expensive player at the KCL auction. After IPL, the Indian star will now be seen in another franchise league in the country.

 M.S. Akhil was the previous most expensive player when the  Trivandrum Royals shelled out INR 7.4 lakh for him. Samasom missed the first edition of the tournament and was expected to smash auction records. He was in Pool A and commanded a base price of INR 3 lakhs. Players in Pool B have a base price of 1.5 lakh, while the Pool C cricketers have a base price of 75000.

Sanju was the designated brand ambassador for the inaugural edition of the Kerala Cricket League last year but prioritised his international commitments and skipped the tournament.

Sanju Last Featured In IPL 2025 For Rajasthan Royals

Sanju was the Rajasthan Royals' highest retainer in IPL 2025 for 18 crore but missed a large chunk of matches due to injuries. He went on to play nine matches and Riyan Parag filled in his absence as the stand-in captain. Sanju will be hoping to make the most of it to attract the attention of the selectors keeping in mind the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2026. The 30 year old has been a part of India's T20I setup and has smashed three centuries in the shorter format for the Men In Blue.

The second season of the Kerala Cricket League will commence on August 22 and will conclude on September 7.

Also Read: IND vs ENG, 2nd Test: Prasidh Krishna's Costly Spell Came With A Heavy Price, Bowler Sets An Unwanted Benchmark in Tests

Kerala Cricket League Teams

• Kochi Blue Tigers
• Thrissur Titans
• Trivandrum Royals
• Aires Kollam Sailors
• Alleppey Ripples
• Calicut Globstars

Also Read: Shubman Gill's Stellar Double Century Fuels IPL Sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi's Test Dream In England: 'He Is A Role Model For Us'