Sanju Samson, after two consecutive ducks, scored a century against South Africa in the final T20I at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday. Opener Sanju Samson, who had scored a century in the first T20I of the series, played another magnificent innings to bring up his ton in 51 balls.
Sanju Samson, who carried his bat, made 109 from 56 balls while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 120 from 47. The Kerala batter now has three T20I centuries -- the most by an Indian wicketkeeper batter in the format. However, he is not the only wicketkeeper to have managed three hundred in the game's shortest format. Another ICC full-nation player has managed this unique record.
India managed an astonishing 283/1 against the Proteas after Sanju and Tilak stitched an unbeaten 210-run partnership. Abhishek Sharma was the Indian batter dismissed (36 from 18) during an innings that witnessed raining fours and sixes. While Sanju managed six fours and nine maximums, the more aggressive Tilak Varma blasted ten sixes and nine boundaries.
Wicketkeepers with most T20I hundreds
Sanju Samson joins Englishman Phil Salt in the record books for being wicketkeeper(s) with most T20I hundreds. Earlier this month, Salt, 28, had struck an unbeaten 103 off 54 balls against West Indies.
With that knock, Salt had joined four other players to have scored three hundreds in T20Is. While Salt needed 34 innings to get to his third T20I ton, Sanju took 37.
Sanju Samson T20 batting records
In the first game of the tournament at Durban's Kingsmead Stadium, the 29-year-old had become the first Indian batter in the history of T20I cricket to score consecutive centuries. The 29-year-old Kerala batter followed his 111 against Bangladesh at Hyderabad with a stellar hundred in just 47 balls -- the fastest in the format against South Africa ever by an Indian. Sanju Samson made life hell for South African spinners led by his Rajasthan Royals teammate Keshav Maharaj before being dismissed for a 50-ball 107.
Most T20I hundreds: What record books say
Australia's Glenn Maxwell and former Indian captain Rohit Sharma are the batters with most number of T20I hundreds at 5 each, while current Indian T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav is second with four. New Zealand's Colin Munro and Pakistan's Babar Azam also have three centuries each in the format.