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Sanju Samson scored 107 runs from 50 balls in the first T20I against South Africa, which India won by 41 runs in Durban on Friday.
Jay Shah praises Indian team ‘solid display of character’ in 1st T20I against South Africa. (Picture Credit: PTI, AP)
BCCI secretary Jay Shah took to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday (November 9) to praise the Suryakumar Yadav-led young Indian team’s super show in the first T20I against South Africa, which was played at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday (November 8). The world No. 1 T20I team beat the Aiden Markram-led side by 61 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the ongoing four-match series.
After being invited to bat first, India rode on Sanju Samson’s second straight T20I century (107 runs from 50 balls) to post a total of 202 runs on the board, and then Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi picked up three wickets each to dismiss Proteas for 141 runs in 17.5 overs.
For his super show with the bat, Samson won the Player of the Match award.
Impressed by the Indian team’s brilliant performance, Jay Shah tweeted, “Great start for the Men in Blue in the T20I series against the Proteas! A solid display of character from the young team in holding back a dangerous batting line-up in the chase. A special appreciation for @IamSanjuSamson for his second consecutive hundred in T20I’s and the wrist spin of @chakaravarthy29 and Ravi Bishnoi, leading the team to a convincing victory! @BCCI.”
Great start for the Men in Blue in the T20I series against the Proteas! A solid display of character from the young team in holding back a dangerous batting line-up in the chase. A special appreciation for @IamSanjuSamson for his second consecutive hundred in T20I’s, and the… pic.twitter.com/SqTWaRYqfh— Jay Shah (@JayShah) November 9, 2024
Samson opened the innings for India, and during his 50-ball stay at the crease, he hammered seven fours and 10 sixes. He added 66 runs for the second wicket with Suryakumar Yadav and 77 runs for the third wicket with Tilak Varma.
For South Africa, pacer Gerald Coetzee picked up three wickets for 37 runs in four overs, and one Indian batter each was sent back to the pavilion by Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Nqabayomzi Peter, and Patrick Kruger.
In reply to the 203-run target, South Africa kept losing wickets at regular intervals. For the hosts, wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen top-scored by making 25 runs, whereas Coetzee contributed 23 runs.
Chakravarthy finished the match with figures of 3 for 25 in four overs, whereas Bishnoi conceded 28 runs in his quota of four overs. Apart from the spin duo, pacer Avesh Khan also picked up two wickets, and Arshdeep dismissed one batter for 25 runs in three overs.
