Durban [South Africa], November 9 : Sanju Samson is overwhelmed with emotion over his current stellar form, a milestone he's awaited for a decade. Samson etched his name into the record and history books after becoming just the fourth player to rack up back-to-back centuries in consecutive innings in T20Is.
He raised the bar in the third T20I against Bangladesh and continued to build on the momentum with a 107(50), laced with seven fours and a whopping 10 towering sixes.
The 29-year-old's 107 is the highest individual score in a T20I between India and South Africa, eclipsing David Miller's unbeaten 106 in Guwahati in 2022.
Samson swells with emotion when he looks at his form and continues to thrive and pile up runs on the board.
"If I think a lot I will get emotional. I waited for this moment for 10 years, I'm very happy, grateful and blessed. But I would like to keep my feet on the ground, be in the moment and enjoy," Samson said after the end of the first innings.
Samson's heroics laid the foundation of India's unmitigated success in Kingsmead and he was deservedly adjudged the Player of the Match.
The experienced wicketkeeper batter reflected the enjoyment he extracted during his exploits on the crease and acknowledged the necessity of starting the series with a victory.
"Really enjoyed my time in the middle. Playing it well, maximum utilisation of my current form you can say. The intent, we have been talking about being aggressive and keeping the team ahead of yourselves," Samson said during the post-match presentation.
"Once you play three-four balls you are looking for the boundary, I'm not thinking much, sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't, happy it worked out well today. It was very crucial, knowing home advantage South Africa has, they are a gun side and it was important to start the series well," he concluded.
After sealing a 61-run success, India will head to Gqeberha for the second T20I against the Proteas on Sunday.