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"Not Easy To Lose...": Sanju Samson Silences Critics With Blazing 42-Ball Century In KCL 2025

Rajgeeta Yadav

Sanju Samson lit up the night with his blistering 121 off 51 balls [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]Sanju Samson lit up the night with his blistering 121 off 51 balls [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]

India wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson showed why he’s still a force to be reckoned with on Sunday. Playing for Kochi Blue Tigers in Kerala Cricket League (KCL), he smashed a breathtaking century in just 42 balls against Aries Kollam Sailors in Thiruvananthapuram.

Opening the innings, Samson went on to score 121 runs off just 51 balls, hitting 14 fours and seven sixes. Thanks to his explosive knock, Kochi successfully chased down a massive target of 237 runs, winning on the very last ball. This performance sends a loud message to the Indian selectors as the T20 Asia Cup approaches.

What makes this comeback even more impressive is that just a day earlier, Samson had struggled badly, scoring only 13 runs from 22 balls while batting lower down the order. His place in India’s T20 team had been under scrutiny, especially with Shubman Gill being named vice-captain and other young openers making their case.

But on Sunday, given the chance to open again, Samson wasted no time. The 30-year-old batter smashed two boundaries and a six in the very first over, and by the end of the Powerplay (the first six overs), Kochi had already reached a record 100 runs, with Samson bringing up his fifty in just 16 balls, the fastest of this season.

After winning the Player of the Match award, Samson thanked the home crowd:

“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.”

He also praised the young local talent in the league:

“To be very honest, I’m not much 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 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 much far away."

It is worth mentioning that Samson’s recent form makes his case stronger for the Asia Cup 2025. Since 2024, Samson has been one of India's best T20 openers, scoring three centuries in just five games against Bangladesh and South Africa. 

Last year, he finished as India’s top T20 batter with 436 runs in 12 innings, boasting an average of 43.60 and a strike rate of 180.16.