Sanju Samson continued his rich vein of form with a stunning half-century in the IND vs NZ 1st T20I on Thursday. Chasing a mammoth 226, Sanju set the tone with a display of brutal hitting, reaching hiss milestone in just 23 balls. The Indian openers put on a show, smashing 94/1 in the first 6 overs.
Sanju Samson Blasts 23-Ball Fifty
With a little movement on offer, Samson initially took his time before unleashing his array of strokes. The India opener got going in the third over, taking on Lockie Ferguson. He smashed 4,6,4 in succession to pick up 22 runs from the third.
Samson then followed it up with another boundary and a six off CSK teammate Matt Henry. In the company of Abhishek Sharma, India raced to 94/1 in the powerplay, with Abhishek succumbing in the final over to Michael Bracewell.
Samson eventually managed 67 off just 33 balls, putting India in pole position in their chase of 225. The half-century was his 8th of 2026, continuing his dream run.
Among Indians, only Virat Kohli (11), Suryakumar Yadav and Abhishek Sharma (9) have scored more half-centuries in a calendar year. Abhishek's 9 have also come in 2026, so has Ishan Kishan's 8 which puts him level with Samson.
