A visibly power-hitting display was seen in Hyderabad as India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson tore apart Bangladesh’s bowling attack in the series-deciding third T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The intentful Samson brought up his maiden T20I century in just 40 balls, the second-fastest century by an Indian in T20I cricket. His innings were just explosive, as he had one over where he went to smash five continuous sixes off Bangladesh spinner Rishad Hossain. It was a moment the spectators could not utter a word, being tongue-tied.
Earlier in the game, Samson made no mistake in showing no mercy from the word go, taking Bangladesh’s bowling apart with surgical precision. Samson hammered four back-to-back boundaries off pacer Taskin Ahmed in the second over of the match to set the tone for the carnage that was about to unfold.
"6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣
— Fantasy Khiladi (@_fantasykhiladi) October 12, 2024
Sanju Samson, R̶E̶M̶E̶M̶B̶E̶R̶ WE KNOW THE NAME! 💥🔥
A breathtaking display of power! 🤯#PlayBold #INDvBAN #SanjuSamsonpic.twitter.com/IeEA8Uqq5l
With the help of 11 boundaries and 8 massive sixes, Samson raced to his hundred, breaking a number of records en route. Eventually, he fell for a blistering 117 off 47 balls but not before rewriting Rohit Sharma’s record for the fastest fifty by an Indian against Bangladesh in T20Is. Samson reached his half-century in just 22 balls, one delivery quicker than Rohit’s previous best of 23 balls.
Already having sealed the series 2-0, India went for a clean sweep. Captain Suryakumar Yadav, however, opted to bat first, and boy, did it pay off? India posted a mammoth total, courtesy of Samson’s heroics. Speaking at the end of the game, Suryakumar admired Samson’s fearless approach: “We wanted to give freedom to our batters, and Sanju made full use of it. It was a treat to watch.”
But despite Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto’s hope for a turnaround, his bowlers had no answers to Samson’s ruthless attack. On what was veteran all-rounder Mahmudullah’s last T20I, Samson made sure it would be a game remembered for his record-breaking performance.
This innings by Samson earned him popularity and debate on whether he will be a mainstay in India’s T20 setup in the near future. A performance like this will no doubt seal his spot, for fans and critics alike will be itching to see more of his magic over the coming months. India finally won the series comprehensively, and Samson’s name would find a place in the record books as his maiden T20I ton came with a broken record in his name, thereby making the performance for the history books.
