Sanju Samson hit form in style with a maiden T20I century to power India to a record total in the third match against Bangladesh in Hyderabad on Saturday.
Struggling for runs ahead of the match, Sanju Samson made every ball count. He brought up his fifty in just 22 balls after smashing two fours and a six to reach the landmark off Rishad Hossain’s bowling.
FIFTY off just 22 deliveries 💥
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 12, 2024
This has been an entertaining knock so far from Sanju Samson! 🔥🔥
Live - https://t.co/ldfcwtHGSC #TeamIndia | #INDvBAN | @IamSanjuSamson | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/BslAJdnVKX
He was particularly severe with Rishad Hossain, off whom Sanju Samson smashed five sixes in the 10th over.
Sanju Samson, captain of the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, brought up his ton in just 40 balls, this time with a four off Mahedi Hasan. He thus raced from 50 to 100 in just 18 balls.
It was the second-fastest hundred by an Indian in T20I cricket after Rohit Sharma who scored a 35-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 2017.
Hyderabad jumps in joy to celebrate the centurion! 🥳
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 12, 2024
📽️ WATCH the 💯 moment
Live - https://t.co/ldfcwtHGSC#TeamIndia | #INDvBAN | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/OM5jB2oBMu
Sanju Samson’s previous highest score in T20I was 77 against Ireland two years ago.
Electing to bat first, India lost Abhishek Sharma early but then with captain Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson forged a 173-run partnership in just 69 balls.
Their assault also ensured India’s highest powerplay score of 82/1, upstaging the 82/2 against Scotland during the T20 World Cup in Dubai three years ago.
Dismissed in the 14th over, Sanju Samson scored 111 runs in 47 balls, with 11 fours and eight sixes.
"The dressing room energy and the boys out there have a lot of happiness for me," said Samson, who was named Player of the Match. "Very happy that they are happy I did well.
"It can get frustrating knowing what you can do out there, and I have also felt I can do much better but with playing so many games I know how do deal with pressure and my failures because I have failed a lot. Just focus was on process and knowing you will do well.
"Playing for your country that pressure was there but I wanted to perform and wanted to show. But I still kept it basic and wanted to take it by one ball. The leadership tells me they back me no matter what... not just in words but in actions also.
"Last series I got two ducks and went back to Kerala thinking what will happen, but I'm here. My mentor tells me 'you have to hit five sixes in an over, I'm waiting for that,' I was chasing it and it happened today."
Later in the innings, Riyan Parag hammered 34 runs (13b, 1x4, 4x6) and managed a 70-run stand in just 25 balls with Hardik Pandya.
Suryakumar Yadav’s 70 (35b, 8x4, 5x6) and Hardik Pandya’s 47 (18b, 4x4, 4x6) too played significant roles in India reaching a record score of 297/6, the second-highest in T20I cricket and the best by a full-member team.
India’s previous highest T20I total was 260/5 made against Sri Lanka in 2017 in Indore.
In response, the Bangladesh cricket team managed 164/7 and handed India a 133-run win to clean sweep the series 3-0.