Sanju Samson’s blistering century against South Africa in Durban has propelled India to a commanding 1-0 lead in the four-match T20I series. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s stunning 107 off 50 balls, featuring seven fours and 10 towering sixes, was the highest individual score in a T20I between India and South Africa.
Samson’s aggressive knock helped India reach an imposing total of 202/8 in the first innings, earning him the Player of the Match award. Reflecting on the victory, Samson credited the senior members of the team for helping him overcome the mental challenges of representing India.
“When you have a supporting captain like Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam bhai and VVS Laxman sir, they all support you during failures,” Samson said at the post-match conference. “The way they communicate with you in your failures is very important. Everyone knows that if we are going through a negative phase, then the player can get lost there.”
Samson’s 107 surpassed David Miller’s unbeaten 106 in Guwahati in 2022 as the highest individual score in a T20I between India and South Africa. His powerful innings helped India reach an imposing total of 202/8 in the first innings, earning him the Player of the Match award.
Despite a rocky start under Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach, Samson has rebounded strongly with impressive performances against Bangladesh and now South Africa. “So at that time, I received a lot of phone calls from Gautam bhai and Surya, telling me what to work on,” Samson shared. “Your spin is a little bit like that. You collect all the spinners in Kerala and practice on rough wickets there. You do this, you do that. So if your Indian team’s captain is calling you and telling you how to practice after a duck, then you have confidence that the captain is trusting you,” he said.
“He wants you to do well. So I think all those small, small things play a huge role, I think, coming back here,” added Samson.
India and South Africa are set to clash again in the second T20I on Sunday in Gqeberha.
