Sanju Samson owns these prestigious feats in T20I cricket
Indian cricket team's wicket-keeper batter, Sanju Samson, on November 15 brought up yet another hundred. The dasher thus became the first player to score three T20I centuries in a calendar year. The record was sealed with his phenomenal performance in the fourth and final T20I against South Africa in Johannesburg . Here we look at his prominent feats and records in T20Is.
Three tons in a calender year
Each of Samson's three tons have come in the past 40 days. No other batter has scored more than two T20I centuries in a calender year. Samson's maiden ton came against Bangladesh in Hyderabad, where he scored an impressive 111 runs from 47 balls. He backed this century with a stunning 107 off just 50 balls in the opener of the recently concluded SA series in Durban. In his latest outing, the opener scored 109* off 56 balls.
First Indian with successive T20I tons
His century in the SA series opener made Samson the first Indian to smash successive T20I tons. Tilak Varma later joined him on this elite list. Meanwhile, France's Gustav Mckeon, SA's Rilee Rossouw, and England's Philip Salt are the only other batters to slam back-to-back hundreds in T20I cricket. Notably, Salt, Samson, and Tilak are the only batters to slam multiple centuries in a bilateral T20I series.
Samson only behind Rohit, SKY
Samson became the third Indian with more than two centuries in men's T20Is. He is only behind Rohit Sharma (5) and Suryakumar Yadav (4) in terms of T20I tons for India. KL Rahul and Tilak are the only other Indian batters with multiple centuries in the shortest International format. Both batters have reached the mark twice.
Multiple tons in South Africa and partnership feat
As per ESPNcricinfo, Samson became the first player with multiple centuries in South Africa in T20I cricket. He is also the first player to have scored multiple tons against this side in the format. The 30-year-old was later joined by Tilak on both these lists. Meanwhile, Samson and Varma added 210* runs in their latest outing, scripting India's highest partnership for any wicket in this format.
Only keeper with three T20I tons
Each of Samson's three T20I hundreds have come as a designated wicketkeeper-batter. No other gloveman has accomplished this feat more than twice. Salt and Serbia's Leslie Dunbar are the only other keepers with multiple T20I centuries (2 apiece). Meanwhile, no other Indian keeper has a hundred in this format.
Joint-most sixes by an Indian in a T20I innings
Samson's tally of 10 sixes in the series opener against SA is the joint-most for an Indian in a T20I innings. He equaled the record of Rohit, who hit 10 against Sri Lanka in Indore in 2017. Meanwhile, Tilak also joined this list by clearing the fence 10 times en route to his recent hundred in Johannesburg.
