Sanju Samson turned on a carnage mode in the India vs Bangladesh 3rd T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Saturday, October 12. Samson smashed a jaw-dropping century in the series finale and registered several milestones en route to his 111-run knock.
Samson has become the first Indian wicket-keeper to hit a century in T20Is. He has also become the second-fastest centurion for India in the shortest international format. His 40-ball ton is second to Rohit Sharma, who made a century in 35 deliveries. While he may not have broken this record, he has shattered an all-time record of the T20 World Cup-winning skipper Rohit.
Samson has smashed the fastest fifty by an Indian batter against the Bangla Tigers in T20Is. His half-century came in just 22 balls, which is one less than Rohit took to reach to his fifty against Bangladesh in a T20I in 2019.
Samson hit his first T20I century and his ton was laced with 8 sixes and 11 fours. He smashed leg-spinner Rishad Hossain for five consecutive sixes in an over as he was in a butcher mode. The wicketkeeper was later dismissed by Mustafizur Rahman on 111.
His massive knock alongside Suryakumar Yadav’s 75 and Hardik Pandya‘s 47-run knocks helped India make 297/6 in their 20 overs. This total is the highest by a full-member side in T20Is.
Highest score by a full-member team in T20Is:
1 – India: 297/6 vs Bangladesh in 2024
2 – Afghanistan: 278/3 vs Ireland in 2019
3 – England: 267/3 vs West Indies in 2023
4 – Australia: 263/3 vs Sri Lanka in 2016
5 – Sri Lanka: 260/6 vs Kenya in 2007
Notably, the highest team score belongs to Nepal, who made 314 Mongolia in an Asian Games match in 2023.
The Indian team missed out on the 300-run margin by a whisker. They looked on course of a 300-plus score after being 282/4 in 19 overs with a well-set Hardik Pandya still at the crease. But they lost two wickets in the final over to Tanzim Hasan Sakib and made 15 from it. Hardik departed for 47 from 18 balls before Nitish Reddy was dismissed for a golden duck on the very next delivery. Rinku Singh finished with a six to take the hosts to 297.