For the first time in his T20I career, Sanju Samson has breached past 50+ scores in consecutive matches. Let alone, 50, the flamboyant batter has hit two sumptuous centuries in back-to-back games, thus becoming first Indian to score twin T20I tons. Whether in the Uppal of Hyderabad or at the Kingsmead in Durban, Samson isn’t shying from shouting his immense talent. The Kerala-born is inarguably one of the most talented players in the world and his 47-ball hundred in the opening T20I against South Africa made everyone witness his class.
Sanju Samson fans…assemble!
Samson came into this encounter with a career-saving 40-ball ton against Bangladesh. He certainly started in Durban from where he left off in the previous game. Although troubled with a couple of bouncing deliveries off Gerald Coetzee, Samson looked in insane touch. His smooth transition of weight and hand-eye co-ordination, that make him delightful to watch, were at par once again.
While Samson lost his opening partner Abhishek Sharma early, it didn’t bother him. He stitched a 37-ball 66-run partnership with skipper Suryakumar Yadav before scoring the bulk of runs in the 77-run stand with Tilak Varma. Samson hit some glorious shots en route to his hundred, 7 fours and 10 sixes in total. He now enjoys 327 runs at an incredible SR of above 180. This means he should be India’s first-choice wicket-keeper option even when Rishabh Pant becomes available to play T20Is.
Most T20I runs for India (as keepers)
| Player | Span | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS Dhoni | 2006-2019 | 98 | 85 | 42 | 16175 | 56 | 37.60 | 126.13 |
| RR Pant | 2018-2024 | 64 | 54 | 12 | 996 | 65* | 23.71 | 129.01 |
| SV Samson | 2020-2024 | 18 | 15 | 2 | 412 | 111 | 31.69 | 167.47 |
Sanju Samson T20I stats in 2024
| Stats | Numbers |
|---|---|
| Innings | 9 |
| Runs | 327 |
| Average | 40.87 |
| SR | 180.66 |
| 50/100 | 1/2 |
