Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: Out-of-form Sanju Samson roared back to form in emphatic fashion, slamming his maiden T20I century against Bangladesh in the third and final game in Hyderabad on Saturday.
In the process, Samson, who got to his hundred in 40 balls, also surpassed skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who did it in 45 balls, to become second fastest Indian to get to the landmark.
His century knock, which included 9 fours and 8 mammoth sixes, showcased his ability to take charge under pressure, helping India build a strong total.
Samson, who reached his first fifty off 22 balls and then got to his hundred in the next 18 balls, also punished leg-spinner Rishad Hossain by hitting five successive sixes.
Samson’s performance not only reaffirmed his potential as a key top-order batter but also added another feather to his cap, pushing him closer to securing a regular spot in India’s T20I line-up after delivering few sub-par performances.
India’s Test and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma, who announced his retirement from the shortest format after T20 World Cup title victory, still sits at the top along with David Miller with both of them scoring the hundreds in 35 balls.
Fastest T20I hundreds (Full-member teams)
- 35 – David Miller (SA) vs BAN, Potchefstroom, 2017
- 35 – Rohit Sharma (IND) vs SL, Indore, 2017
- 39 –
Johnson Charles (WI) vs SA, Centurion, 2023 - 40 – Sanju Samson (IND) vs BAN, Hyderabad, 2024
- 42 – Hazratullah Zazai (AFG) vs IRE, Dehradun, 2019
- 42 – Liam Livingstone (ENG) vs PAK, Trent Bridge, 2021
