Sanju Samson’s explosive maiden T20I century set the stage for India's commanding 133-run win and clean 3-0 sweep over a lackluster Bangladesh on Saturday.
Once India put up a towering 297/6 after choosing to bat, the game was all but decided, with Bangladesh never really putting up a fight, eventually finishing at 164/7. Mayank Yadav (2/32) and Ravi Bishnoi (3/30) led India’s bowling attack with impressive spells.
Samson (111 off 47 balls, 11 fours, 8 sixes), with the second fastest T20I hundred by an Indian after Rohit Sharma (35 balls), teamed up with captain Suryakumar Yadav (75 off 35, 8 fours, 5 sixes) to put on a blistering 173-run partnership for the second wicket. Their fireworks propelled India to the second-highest T20I total of all time, just behind Nepal’s 314, and set a new record for India in T20 cricket.
While the pitch may have been flat and the outfield lightning quick, Samson’s innings stood out for its sheer brilliance. Known for his inconsistency, the Kerala star found his rhythm at the perfect time, delivering a performance that left everyone in awe.
Samson got into his groove early, smashing Taskin Ahmed for four consecutive boundaries in just the second over. From there, the show never stopped. He took down every bowler with ease, including an over where he hammered Rishad Hossain for five consecutive sixes, the highlight being a monstrous 105-meter hit.
The shot of the day, though, was a ridiculous six off Mustafizur Rahman—a slower ball that Samson casually sent over extra cover from deep in his crease. By the time he reached his century, it was clear this was a special knock, and he celebrated with pure passion, embraced by his skipper.
Suryakumar wasn’t far behind, flashing his brilliance with a quickfire fifty in 23 balls before both he and Samson were dismissed in quick succession. Samson fell to a sharp bouncer from Mustafizur, while Suryakumar gave a simple catch to Rishad off Mahmudullah.
But by then, India had already racked up 206 by the 15th over. And to pile on the misery, Hardik Pandya (47 off 18) and Riyan Parag (34 off 13) added another 70 runs, taking India to a massive total.
Bangladesh’s chase was over before it really started, as Mayank struck with the very first ball to dismiss Pervez Hossain. Despite some resistance from Towhid Hridoy (63*) and Litton Das (42), Bangladesh was never in the hunt, falling well short in the face of India’s dominance.
