NEW DELHI: Team India opener Sanju Samson’s blistering knock of 107 runs off 50 balls in the first T20I against South Africa displayed his hitting acumen in high-pressure situations on Friday.
Reflecting on his approach after the innings, Samson described how he had entered “a zone” during his record-equalling innings in Durban, allowing his natural game to shine.
"I was in a zone, it was automatically flowing, so I let it flow. If the ball is there to be hit, go for it. Focus on one ball at a time and that helps. The wicket does play a big role here, extra bounce and coming from India we do take time to understand the wicket. There's a huge wind blowing from one end and their bowlers bowled very well, our bowlers too would like to copy from them," Samson remarked in the mid-innings interaction.
"If I think a lot, I will get emotional," he admitted, displaying his desire to stay grounded and avoid overthinking. “I waited for this moment for 10 years. I’m very happy, grateful, and blessed," the batter added.
Samson’s innings, studded with ten sixes and seven fours, tied Rohit Sharma’s record for the most sixes by an Indian in a T20I inning.
The powerful performance was also Samson’s second consecutive T20I century, marking him as the first Indian to accomplish this feat and adding him to an exclusive global list of players like Gustav McKeon, Rilee Rossouw, and Phil Salt who have hit back-to-back T20I hundreds.
“The wicket does play a big role here, extra bounce and coming from India we do take time to understand the wicket. There's a huge wind blowing from one end and their bowlers bowled very well, our bowlers too would like to copy from them," he further explained.
Samson’s innings placed India at a formidable total of 202/8, setting the stage for a strong bowling performance.
With this century, Samson has now surpassed MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant with three 50+ T20I scores as a wicketkeeper, joining KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan at the top among Indian keepers.
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