Samson, spinners provide dominant T20I series start for India against South Africa

After Sanju Samson’s powerful T20I century, Indian spinners produced the dominance to secure a memorable 61-run win in the four-match T20I series opener against the hosts South Africa.

Durban hosted the series opener, where South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl first. India scored 202/8 in 20 overs. In reply, South Africa were all out for only 141 runs in 17.5 overs. It was India’s second largest T20I win (by runs) against the hosts South Africa, while the record is a 106-run victory in Johannesburg 2023. 

With this win, India have taken a 1-0 lead in the four-match T20I series against the hosts South Africa with three matches yet to be played. 

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Sanju Samson scored a 47-ball hundred

Indian opener Sanju Samson played a powerful knock of 107 runs off 50 balls with the help of seven fours and 10 sixes. While it was his second T20I century, he recorded in back-to-back innings. Samson became the first Indian batter to record centuries in consecuctive T20I innings, and his 47-ball hundred was the second fastest T20I century by any batter against South Africa.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav (21) and Tilak Varma (33) provided strong support to Samson, but the late batters didn’t perform powerfully in the slog overs. However, India still managed their second highest T20I total against the hosts South Africa. 

Indian spinners shared six wickets

In reply, none of the South African batters reached the 30-run mark. Six batters reached the double-digit scores, including three scoring 20+ runs. While Heinrich Klaasen scored 25 runs, Gerald Coetzee (23) and the opener Ryan Rickelton (21) were the other South Africans to score 20+ runs in that innings. 

Indian spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi took three wickets each in the match as the hosts hadn’t any strong reply. Chakravarthy had the bowling figures of 4-0-25-3 and Bishnoi ended with the 4-0-28-3 bowling figures.  

Also, Avesh Khan bagged two wickets (2/28) and Arshdeep Singh got a wicket (1/25).