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Sanju Samson made history by becoming the first batter from India to achieve two T20I hundreds in a row. At Kingsmead in Durban, India defeated South Africa by 61 runs in the first game of the T20I series thanks to his spectacular 107 off just 50 balls.
NEW DELHI: On Friday, Sanju Samson made history by becoming the first batter from India to achieve two T20I hundreds in a row. At Kingsmead in Durban, India defeated South Africa by 61 runs in the first game of the T20I series thanks to his spectacular 107 off just 50 balls. With seven fours and an incredible ten sixes, Samson’s innings won over cricket fans’ hearts and generated a lot of social media kudos.
He achieved this record-breaking feat only a few days after his remarkable 111 off 47 balls against Bangladesh. In the run-up to the 2026 World Cup, Samson’s consecutive hundreds have sparked calls for him to be India’s permanent opener. Social media was inundated with praise from cricket fans and former players, who hailed Samson’s effort as “game-changing” and “deserving of legendary status.”
India batted first in the game, and Samson was in control right away. Every shot he made drove the team closer to a huge total as his aggressive style of play overpowered the South African bowlers. Both the opponents and the fans were in awe of Samson’s unrelenting hitting, which included ten massive sixes. India set the stage for their bowlers to dominate the second innings with a 215-run target.
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South Africa responded poorly to the pressure and finished their innings far short of the goal. Samson’s outstanding performance was matched by India’s bowlers, who won handily and gave their country a 1-0 series lead.
Sanju has proven himself. “These consecutive hundreds demonstrate his skill and consistency in the shortest format,” said former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. “He has demonstrated why he merits a position at the top with the World Cup approaching.”
Support erupted on social media as supporters hailed Samson’s performance as “an inspiration to young cricketers” and proclaimed him the “permanent opener till 2026.” Samson, who is renowned for his composed manner, dedicated his innings to the supporters and pledged to uphold high standards in the next matches.
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With likes of Abhishek Sharma not being in the best of forms, and other probable opening batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill not in the side as of now due to them being part of the squad going to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, these recent performances by Sanju at the top of the order have given him a good chance to be one of the two permanent openers when the squad is at full strength as well, leaving Abhishek, Yashasvi, and Shubman fighting for the other opening spot.
In addition to making cricket history with this historic performance, Samson has solidified his place in India’s long-term T20I strategy. As India prepares for the 2026 World Cup, all eyes will be on the budding star as he continues to demonstrate his value.
