Sanju Samson first player to score 4000 runs for Rajasthan Royals

Sanju Samson became the first batter to score 4000 runs for Rajasthan Royals following his valiant half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Sunday.

Samson, playing the first match of the season as an Impact Player, scored a brisk 66 off 37 to keep Rajasthan Royals in the game despite chasing a stiff target of 287. His innings included seven fours and four maximums.

However, Sanju Samson’s resilience ended in the 14th over when a top edge off Harshal Patel landed straight into the gloves of wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen. The Royals eventually lost the match by 44 runs but not before posting their highest IPL score of 242/6.

Sanju Samson’s 4000 runs for Rajasthan Royals include 3808 in the IPL and 192 in the now-defunct Champions League Twenty20. Averaging 32 with a strike rate of over 141, Sanju Samson sits atop the Rajasthan Royals’ all-time scoring charts, ahead of Ajinkya Rahane (3098) and Jos Buttler (3055).

His best season as a batter was in IPL 2024, where he scored 531 runs at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46.

Since his IPL debut in 2013, Samson has been the backbone of the Royals squad, featuring in a record 147 matches for the team.

Sanju Samson, as captain, also led the team to the summit clash in IPL 2022 - the team’s first final since 2008. Last year, he surpassed Shane Warne’s record for most matches as Royals skipper.