 "Sanju Samson celebrates after bringing up his maiden T20I century in just 40 balls. AP")
Sanju Samson roared back to form with a blazing 40-ball century during the third and final T20I between India and Bangladesh in Hyderabad on Saturday. Samson, who had been dismissed on scores of 29 and 10 earlier in the T20I series, made full use of the batting friendly-conditions at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium to bring up his third half-century in the format in just 22 deliveries and score the next fifty in just 18!
Samson refused to slow down after bringing up his milestone and continued to punish the hapless Bangladeshi attack, smashing leg-spinner Rishad Hossain for five consecutive sixes in the 10th over of the Indian innings to zoom into the 90s in just 35 balls.
He would then bring up the three-figure mark for the first time in Twenty20 Internationals and only the second time in an Indian jersey with a boundary straight down the ground off Mahedi Hasan in the 13th over of the innings.
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As a result of the carnage, India raced to 152/1 at the halfway stage of the innings after opting to bat, raising hopes of the 300-barrier finally being breached for only the second time in the Twenty20 format. At the time of Samson completing his century, India were 190/1 after 13 overs.
Samson was dismissed shortly after bringing up the three-figure mark, pulling a slower bouncer from Mustafizur Rahman that sent the ball into Mahedi’s hands at deep square leg. The Rajasthan Royals captain departed for 111 off 47 deliveries, striking at 236 and collecting 11 fours and eight sixes during his stay at the crease.
It wasn’t just a Sanju Samson show in Hyderabad on Saturday evening though. Captain Suryakumar Yadav too led from the front with a 35-ball 75 that contained eight fours and five sixes, bringing up his 21st T20I half-century in 23 deliveries – one more than Samson.
Samson an Surya would end up stitching a marathon 173-run partnership for the second wicket, helping the Men in Blue recover from the early dismissal of opener Abhishek Sharma.