 "'I believe in God and my processes': Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson on record-breaking partnership, individual hundreds")
It was a record-breaking night for Team India, Sanju Samson, and Tilak Varma as the Men in Blue defeated South Africa by 135 runs in the fourth T20I at Johannesburg to clinch the series 3-1 . In the final match of the tour, Sanju Samson struck his second hundred of the series as he smashed 109 off 56 balls and forged an unbeaten 210 runs partnership with Tilak Varma, who scored 120 not out off 47 balls – his second consecutive T20I century.
India eventually posted a total of 283/1 which is the second highest by a full-member team in T20Is, only behind 297/6 the Men in Blue scored against Bangladesh earlier this year at Hyderabad. The 210-run partnership between Samson and Varma was the highest for any wicket for India and the highest for the second wicket or below for any team in all T20Is.
India also smashed 23 sixes in the innings, which is the most in a T20I between two full-member sides.
Samson: ‘Kept on believing in myself’
After a record-breaking outing, Samson, who has scored three T20I hundreds since October 2024, spoke about how keeping belief in himself helped him score yet another international century and hopefully seal the opening slot in the T20I team for the foreseeable future.
Samson had suffered back-to-back ducks before slamming a hundred against Bangladesh in October at Hyderabad. He then scored a second consecutive hundred in the first match of the series against South Africa before suffering two consecutive ducks again . He ended the series with this third international T20I ton.
“I have had so many failures in my life, got two hundreds and then two ducks, I kept on believing in myself, kept on working hard and it came off today,” Samson said. “After a couple of failures, there were a lot of things going on in my head, Abhishek helped me out early on, and then Tilak as well. [on Tilak] I have had so many partnerships with him, he is a very young prospect and he is the future of Indian cricket and lovely to have a partnership with him.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“I don’t like to talk much, last time I talked too much I got a couple of ducks, I would like to keep it simple and focus on what I can do. [on this total] That’s what our captain was expecting from us, and we are happy we made it happen.”
Tilak Varma: ‘Thanks to our captain Surya’
Tilak Varma has had a subdued start to his career but has turned things around in the last two matches with back-to-back tons after a promotion to the No.3 batting spot .
“Actually I wanted to tell one funny thing, last year when I played here I got out first ball. This innings was very crucial for the team and the series. [on his plans for today] Just want to hold my shape and followed my basics as to what I did in the last game, I was calm,” he said after the match.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling, I couldn’t express it right now, I never imagined, that too two 100s in South Africa in challenging conditions. Thanks to our captain Surya for this. As I said last match, I was injured in the last few games, I believe in God and my processes, that’s why I celebrated like that to God.”
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