Sanju Samson is back in Kerala colours, and his return has already cost Kochi Blue Tigers an eye-catching INR 26.60 lakh. That bid, the highest in Saturday’s Kerala Cricket League auction, underlines how little last season’s Vijay Hazare controversy has dented his reputation inside the Kerala Cricket Association.
The bare facts first. Samson has not played a competitive match since Rajasthan Royals’ unhappy IPL 2025, a campaign limited to nine appearances and interrupted by a side strain. The KCL, due to start later this month, will therefore be his first outing since May and – just as significantly – his first KCA-run event since being left out of the 50-over squad for “missing the preparatory camp”.
At the time, association officials said they “wanted to set a precedent” on discipline. Samson’s reply was equally blunt: “I had written to the KCA seeking permission; the mail went unnoticed.” A year on, both sides appear to have parked the grievance. He has even been retained as the league’s brand ambassador, a role he skipped last time to focus on international duties.
The auction itself trundled along in typical local-league fashion before livening up. Wicketkeeper-batter Vishnu Vinod fetched INR 13.8 lakh, while evergreen all-rounder Jalaj Saxena attracted INR 12.6 lakh. All three are expected to slot straight in; squads are small, and the tournament runs on tight turnaround times.
Elsewhere, teenage wrist-spinner Vignesh Puthur stayed with Alleppey Ripples for INR 3.75 lakh, exactly what they paid last year. The left-armer missed half of IPL 2025 with a stress injury, but Mumbai Indians still rate him – they took him to South Africa as a net bowler and seem happy to let Kerala manage his workload.
So, what does it all mean? For Samson, the league offers match fitness, a leadership role and, perhaps most important, a public reconciliation with the state set-up. For the KCL, the presence of an India regular should shift a few tickets and plenty of eyeballs. And for the fringe players dotted around the eight teams, the message is simple: perform well, and the IPL scouts – they will be watching again – tend to remember.
