After being left out of the ODI series against Australia, Sanju Samson showcased his skills with a solid half-century against Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy for Kerala on October 17. Samson returned to red-ball cricket for the first time since October 2024 as he was not part of the Duleep Trophy or the Irani Cup squads.
The Kerala batsman, a member of the triumphant Asia Cup squad, played a crucial knock of 54 off 63 balls to rescue his team in the first innings against Maharashtra. Kerala, having dismissed their opponents for 239, found themselves struggling at 35 for two before Samson entered the crease. He stitched a 40-run partnership with Sachin Baby to stabilize the innings, but Baby departed after contributing seven runs.
On a challenging pitch where no other batsman managed to surpass the 50-run mark in the first innings, Samson battled valiantly. He received some support from Mohammed Azharudeen, who scored 36 runs off 52 balls, and the pair added 57 runs before Samson was eventually dismissed in the 34th over.
This match marks Samson’s sole appearance in the current Ranji Trophy season, as he is set to join the T20I squad for the upcoming Australia tour commencing on October 29.
Despite Samson’s resilience, Kerala failed to seize the advantage against Maharashtra and were bowled out for 219 runs. Following Samson’s exit, Azharudeen also departed quickly, leaving Kerala at 141 for six. Salman Nizar contributed 49 runs to stabilize the innings, but the lower order did not offer substantial support.
Jalaj Saxena, a former Kerala player, claimed three wickets, while Mukesh Choudhary, Rajneesh Gurbani, and Vicky Ostwal each picked up two wickets. Maharashtra concluded the day at 51 for no loss in nine overs, with Prithvi Shaw scoring 37 runs off 34 balls.