THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala batter and Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson became the highest-priced player in the history of the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) after Kochi Blue Tigers snapped him up for a record Rs 26.8 lakh at the season 2 auction held on Saturday in Thiruvananthapuram.

Samson’s price tag shattered the previous KCL record Rs 7.4 lakh for M S Akhil, set by Trivandrum Royals. Sanju Samson, who did not feature in the league’s inaugural edition last year, was listed in the 39-player Category A pool for this year’s auction.

For Samson, the league offers a chance to get back into rhythm following an injury-hit IPL 2025 season where he played just nine matches. The right-handed batter scored 285 runs at a strike rate of 140.39, managing only one fifty as Rajasthan Royals ended their campaign at ninth place in the ten-team standings.