India vs South Africa highlights, 1st T20I: Sanju Samson shines as India beat South Africa by 61 runs, take 1-0 lead in four-match series

Sanju Samson is the Man of the Match for his blistering 107 off 50 balls.

Sanju Samson scored a scintillating century as India inflicted a 61-run defeat on South Africa in the first T20I on Friday.

Invited to bat, Samson blazed away to 107 off 50 balls, hitting as many as 10 sixes and seven fours to help India post 202 for 8.

The spin duo of Varun Chakaravarthy (3/25) and Ravi Bishnoi (3/28) then shared six wickets between them to bowl out South Africa for 141 in 17.5 overs.

Earlier, Samson became the first Indian to score back-to-back centuries in T20Is.

The opener notched his second T20I hundred off just 47 balls. His first had come in India's last outing against Bangladesh last month.

However, South Africa clawed their way back into the game as they stemmed the flow of runs by picking wickets in the last five overs.

Pacer Gerald Coetzee who claimed three wickets was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts.

India set a challenging target of 203 runs in the opening T20I against South Africa at Kingsmead Stadium, Durban, thanks to Sanju Samson's brilliant 107 off 50 balls.

Samson anchored India’s innings with an explosive display of power and timing, reaching his century at a strike rate of 214.00, including 10 sixes and 7 fours. After Abhishek Sharma’s early departure for 7 off 8 balls, Samson took command, with brief support from captain Suryakumar Yadav, who contributed 21 off 17 before being dismissed by Patrick Kruger.

Tilak Varma added a brisk 33 off 18 to keep the momentum going, but India’s middle order couldn’t fully capitalize on the solid start. Hardik Pandya (2), Rinku Singh (1), and Axar Patel (7) fell cheaply. Arshdeep Singh’s unbeaten 5 off 4 balls, however, pushed India past the 200-mark.

South Africa’s bowlers saw mixed results, with Gerald Coetzee impressing with 3/20, while Nqabayomzi Peter, Patrick Kruger, and Marco Jansen each took a wicket.

Team India batter Sanju Samson on Friday etched his name in the record books during the first T20I against South Africa, surpassing legendary Indian wicket-keepers MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant by recording his third 50+ score in the shortest format of the game.

With this feat, Samson has joined the likes of Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul, who also have three 50+ scores in T20Is as wicket-keepers for India, moving ahead of Dhoni and Pant, who have two such scores in their T20I careers.

Most 50+ Scores by Indian WK in T20Is

3 - Sanju Samson*
3 - Ishan Kishan
3 - KL Rahul
2 - Rishabh Pant
2 - MS Dhoni

The milestone came in Samson's aggressive innings against South Africa, where he showed impressive power and precision.

The standout moment of his knock was when he smashed back-to-back sixes off Nqabayomzi Peter, reaching his half-century with a brilliant pull shot that sent the ball soaring in front of square.

Samson’s fifty came off just 27 balls, and his aggressive approach quickly put South Africa under pressure after they opted to bowl first.