Sanju Samson named tournament icon for Kerala Cricket League 2026

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has been appointed as the Tournament Icon for the 2026 season of the Kerala Cricket League (KCL). The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) confirmed the development, naming the India international as the official face of the third edition of the state's premier T20 franchise tournament.

A native of Thiruvananthapuram, Samson has long been one of Kerala's biggest cricketing stars. Alongside leading the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he has consistently represented Kerala in domestic cricket and has also been associated with the KCL since its inception. In the previous edition, Samson was signed by the Kochi Blue Tigers for a record fee at the player auction, underlining his immense popularity and value in the league.

However, Samson will not feature as a player in the 2026 edition due to prior commitments. Instead, he will take on a new responsibility as the Tournament Icon, a role that will see him promote the league, engage with fans, and contribute to initiatives aimed at developing young cricketers across the state. The KCA believes Samson's presence as the face of the competition will significantly boost the tournament's profile while inspiring the next generation of Kerala's cricketing talent.

The player auction for the 2026 season was held recently, with all franchises finalizing their squads ahead of the tournament. Kochi Blue Tigers retained several key players before the auction, although Samson's absence from the playing roster leaves the franchise without one of its biggest attractions from previous seasons.

Samson's appointment comes at an interesting stage of his career. The 31-year-old remains a regular name in India's white-ball discussions and continues to be one of the country's most experienced wicketkeeper-batters. However, he recently endured a difficult outing during India's white-ball tour of England, where a string of low scores resulted in him losing his place in the playing XI. He was subsequently left out of India's squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe series, although he has retained his place in the squad for the Asian Games.