Sanju Samson may have finally cemented his place in the Indian T20I side. With back-to-back hundreds in the shortest format, the Kerala batter has indeed cemented his case to become Rohit Sharma’s replacement as India’s opener. Samson scored a blistering 107-run knock in IND vs SA 1st T20I, displaying his prowess with some aggressive batting in Durban.
Sanju Samson cements case to be Rohit Sharma’s replacement
There was a lot of doubts over Sanju Samson occupying the role of an opener in T20Is, given his history with inconsistent performances. However, in the last two games, he has gone to on silence the critics by scoring century after century, against formidable opponents including South Africa. Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20Is following the World Cup win. Since then, India has not found a permanent opener.
The likes of Yahsasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, who have previously opened for India, are out of the consideration, given that they are currently heavily invested in red-ball cricket. In their absence, Samson will be the perfect fit to open the innings for India, alongside Abhishek Sharma.
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Samson’s knock against South Africa in Durban was a treat for the eyes. With a strike rate of 214, the opener smashed seven fours and ten sixes en route to his 107-run knock. His ability to hold his nerves and strike maximums in dire situations has allowed him to establish himself as a permanent resident in India’s T20I XI.
Players with consecutive T20I centuries ft. Samson
| Player | Country | Year |
| Gustav Mckeon | France | 2022 |
| Rilee Rossouw | South Africa | 2022 |
| Phil Salt | England | 2023 |
| Sanju Samson | India | 2024* |
Sanju Samson scored 111 runs against Bangladesh in the 2nd T20I earlier in October. After having warmed the bench throughout the T20 World Cup, Samson finally capitalised on his opportunity in the IND vs BAN series. And he continues to do so in the IND vs SA series as well.
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