Sanju Samson has etched his name into Indian Premier League (IPL) history by becoming the first player to score 4000 runs for Rajasthan Royals. The milestone was achieved during the ongoing IPL 2025 match against Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, marking a significant personal and franchise achievement for the Kerala-born cricketer.
This match is Samson’s 149th appearance for the Jaipur-based franchise, underscoring his long-term association with Rajasthan Royals. Needing just 15 runs to reach the landmark, Samson brought up the record in style by hitting a six off Ravichandran Ashwin during the seventh over of RR’s 188-run chase.
With this feat, Samson not only becomes the leading run-scorer in Rajasthan Royals’ history but also joins an elite list of batters who have scored 4000 or more runs for a single IPL team. He is the seventh player to reach this milestone for one team, following in the footsteps of legends such as Virat Kohli (RCB – 8509), Rohit Sharma (MI – 5758), MS Dhoni (CSK – 4865), Suresh Raina (CSK – 4687), AB de Villiers (RCB – 4491), and David Warner (SRH – 4014).
The top run-scorers for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL now stand as follows:
- Sanju Samson – 4001*
- Jos Buttler – 3055
- Ajinkya Rahane – 2810
- Shane Watson – 2372
- Yashasvi Jaiswal – 2166
- Riyan Parag – 1563
- Rahul Dravid – 1276
- Steve Smith – 1070
- Yusuf Pathan – 1011
- Shimron Hetmyer – 953
Overall, Samson has scored 4679 runs in 177 IPL matches, including 28 matches for Delhi Capitals where he accumulated 677 runs before becoming a mainstay for Rajasthan Royals.
Samson is also on the verge of another major milestone. If he manages to hit at least two sixes in the current match, he will become only the fifth Indian cricketer to record 350 or more sixes in T20s. He currently sits on 349 sixes in the shortest format.
The Indian players with the most sixes in T20 cricket are:
- Rohit Sharma – 542 sixes in 459 matches
- Virat Kohli – 434 sixes in 410 matches
- Suryakumar Yadav – 368 sixes in 321 matches
- MS Dhoni – 350 sixes in 404 matches
- Sanju Samson – 349* sixes
Trailing close behind are KL Rahul (331), Suresh Raina (325), Hardik Pandya (293), Shreyas Iyer (274), and Robin Uthappa (267).
Globally, the record for the most sixes in T20 cricket remains with Chris Gayle. The legendary West Indies opener struck 1056 sixes in 463 matches over a 17-year T20 career, standing as the only cricketer to breach the 1000-sixes mark in the format.
Sanju Samson’s latest achievement adds yet another milestone to his steadily growing legacy in IPL history and reinforces his role as a pivotal figure in Rajasthan Royals’ journey across seasons.
