India is playing against South Africa in the first T20I of their four-match series at Kingsmead, Durban. The South Africa skipper, Aiden Markram, won the toss and elected to bowl first which had put the Indians on the backfoot early on in the innings after Abhishek Sharma’s dismissal. However, Indian Sanju Samson’s stupendous knock does it all. Not only anchoring the innings but getting them on a historic record with his hundred.

💯 for Sanju Samson – his second T20I hundred! 🙌 🙌

A 47-ball ton! 🔥 🔥

Back to back T20I tons for Sanju Samson 👌 👌

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Back-To-Back Centuries For Samson

As the runs continued flowing, Samson marked a second T20I hundred in his career. Moreover, this was the second successive T20I hundred for him, making him the first Indian to hit back-to-back centuries in the shortest format of the game. This outstanding feat clearly marked his increasing stature in the shortest format of the game.

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Samson Surpasses MS Dhoni’s Record

Sanju Samson became the joint-seventh quickest Indian to have scored 7,000 runs in T20Is. He achieved the feat in just his 269th innings on the opening T20I against South Africa at Kingsmead, Durban. Interestingly, he has reached this milestone earlier than the fabled Indian legend MS Dhoni.

Record-Breaking Feat: Fastest T20I Century Against South Africa

Sanju Samson added yet another feather to his cap along with back-to-back hundreds. This time he became the first Indian to score a T20I century in just 47 balls against South Africa. That is a new record he created while breaking the earlier record of Suryakumar Yadav, who took 55 balls to score a T20I century. Sanju’s hundred resulted from quick fire that took India to a huge total from which the South African bowlers couldn’t come back.

Most Number Of Sixes Against SA In A T20I

Sanju Samson hit nine sixes which is the most in a T20I between India & South Africa he surpassed the record of eight each by Rilee Rossouw and Suryakumar Yadav

Early Setback But Samson Stabilizes The Batting

Then India lost the services of the opening batter in the form of Abhishek Sharma early on. Their score card then was 15/1 and Samson came into the play along with skipper Suryakumar Yadav. The onus was on Samson initially but it was not too long before he showed that he had taken command.

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Sanju Samson Takes The Charge

Aggressive stroke player Samson didn’t let the early dismissal of Abhishek Sharma bother him. The wicketkeeper-batter immediately took the attack to the South African bowlers, playing a series of boundaries and rotating the strike effectively. His fearless approach was the starting point that heralded Indian recovery, and he ensured the momentum stayed with the visitors.

Samson also has achieved a stunning record of most fifty plus scores by an Indian wicket-keeper in T20Is.

The Partnership with Suryakumar Yadav

Two solid stalwarts added to their combination, in Samson and Suryakumar Yadav, who batted together with some brilliant cricket. Samson batted aggressively, while Suryakumar played the perfect partner by going aggression combined with smart rotation of strike. Altogether, the duo added 66 from just 37 balls to the cause for big total. Sanju Samson remained focus even after the fall of Suryakumar Yadav in the ninth over. The more he settled in his innings, the more he became dangerous. He was phenomenal with his timing, placement, and power on every boundary he marked, taking India to a commanding position in the game.

Samson’s Innings: A Perfect Balance Of Power And Grace

Samson’s innings was a masterclass in mixing power with finesse. Shot selection was very good, varied strokes to all parts of the ground, and whether it is crashing the ball over the boundary ropes or finding delicate gaps in the field, his batting is absolutely delightful to watch. His century wasn’t so much about hitting sixes but calculated aggression and intelligent cricket.

His century has helped India set a total of 202/8 against South Africa in the first T20I.