Sanju Samson gives the best definition of a ‘Malayali’

Sanju Samson might have given the best definition of ‘Malayali’ yet. In a podcast he did with Abhinav Mukund for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the Kerala superstar was asked about a social media campaign calling for his elevation to the franchise's captaincy, replacing Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Sanju’s response, which was clearly thought-out, seemed to convince Mukund, who said he had no follow-up.

In Sanju's view, Gaikwad and the CSK leadership convinced him to join the Chennai franchise ahead of IPL 2026, ending his decade-long association with the Rajasthan Royals. “CSK invited me by placing their trust in me. So, I am ready to give my everything here.”

But Sanju didn’t just make it about himself and compared it to the vast number of Malayalis who leave the comfort of home to work in other Indian states and abroad. “A lot of Malayalis work in Chennai, Dubai and wherever you go.

“There are a lot of people who work for proper companies. In Dubai, there are people who work in the same company for 30-40 years. If you trust people from our place and pick them to work for you, we Malayalis will give our lives to repay that trust,” Sanju said.

“... We are always there to serve the team. That's how we behave.

“I won't come here saying, 'Sanju's here, give me this, give me that'. I'll definitely try to behave the way I'm. But I won't come here with demands. I'll play for my team. I'll play for my captain, Ruturaj. I'll play for my coach, Stephen Flemming. I'll love to be with Mahi bhai.”

T20 World Cup winner Sanju is one of the most popular names associated with Kerala, certainly in the field of sports. Kerala has produced a handful of other international cricketers, namely Tinu Yohannan, S Sreesanth, Minnu Mani, Sajana Sajeevan and Asha Sobhana.