Sanju Samson made 121 runs in 52 balls in a successful chase of 237-run target.
The burden of chasing down a massive 237-run target against the Sailors rested on Sanju following a slow start in the Kerala Cricket League, where he batted at number six and only managed 13 off 22 deliveries the day before.
Sanju has been batting in the middle order in KCL ever since reports floated of him vacating the opening slot in the Indian team for Shubman Gill, who was named the vice-captain of the Indian T20I team for the Asia Cup 2025.
In a lofty chase, Samson got off to a quick start, hitting two fours and a six in the first over. Sanju reached his half-century in just 16 deliveries, the fastest fifty so far this year, as he quickly increased the ante in the powerplay as Kochi hammered a tournament record of 100 runs in the first six overs.
Samson reached his century in just 42 deliveries, smashing 14 fours and seven sixes in front of an 11,000-strong audience that had come to watch the hometown hero. Samson made a statement ahead of the Asia Cup with his 121 in 51 deliveries before succumbing to the pressure of the scoreboard as regular wickets fell at the other end.
Samson’s batting partner, Mohammed Ashique, hammered a six off the final ball, when six runs were needed to win the Kochi Blue Tigers the match in dramatic fashion.
Picking up the Player of the Match award, Samson said, “It’s not easy to lose a game in front of your home crowd. So, I thank all the people who turned up in huge numbers.”
Samson acknowledged that he has not yet fully adapted to his younger teammates, but he also acknowledged that the league's up-and-coming quality surprised the India and IPL star. He also urged the players and the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) to continue supporting the up-and-coming talent.
“To be very honest, I’m not very aware of the boys. But as much as I’m spending time with them, I’m getting very excited. Very exciting talent in the team. It’s a bit shocking to see we have so much talent in Kerala cricket. I request that we have to put in some special eyes in the local games going on, especially for all the players. In the next one or two years, we should see one more guy playing for the country. And I can see that happening. With this talent, I don’t think that we are very far away,” said Samson.
Samson has done excellently well as an opener for India in T20Is since 2024. He hammered three centuries last year in five innings and ended the year with 436 runs in 12 innings with an impressive average of 43.60 and a strike rate of 180.16.