Indian star batters Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma have created history during the India vs South Africa 4th T20I in Johannesburg. The two batters slammed centuries to register an unthinkable T20I record.
For the first time ever, two batters from the same ICC full-member team have hit centuries in the same innings of a match. Never before two players from a full-member team had hit centuries in the same T20I game.
Samson and Tilak have created more records en route to their astonishing centuries. Samson and Tilak have become the only Indian batters with two T20I centuries against the same team. This was Samson's third T20I ton with two coming in the ongoing series against South Africa. Meanwhile, Tilak had hit a century in the previous match against the Proteas. He has become the second Indian to hit centuries in back-to-back T20I centuries with Samson being the first.
It is for the third time only that two batters from the same team have hit centuries in the same T20I match but they were not full-members. Japan and Czech Republic players were the first two to feature two players with centuries in a T20I match.
Czech Republic openers Sabawoon Davizi and Dylan Steyn slammed centuries in the game against Bulgaria in the Valletta Cup in 2022. Japan openers Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake and captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming emulated the same feat against China in the East Asia Cup earlier this year.
Samson got to his hundred first as he got to the three-digit mark in 51 balls. Meanwhile, Tilak was quick to follow him as he raced to his century in the next over in 41 balls. India ended their innings on 283/1 in 20 overs. Samson slammed 109 from 56 balls, while Tilak made 120 from just 47 deliveries.
The 283-run score is India's second-highest ever in a T20I game.
India had won the toss and opted to bat first in the fourth game. Both the teams went with the same Playing XIs. "We are going to bat first. We have been doing that well in the last 2-3 games and we want to stick to that. The plan has been clear from the first game. Putting runs on the board and defending is something we have been wanting to do. It is a quick turnaround, one day gap between the games but the boys are professionals and are taking care of themselves. Same team," Suryakumar had said at the toss.
"We weren't sure (whether to bat or bowl). Probably leaning towards batting. We haven't put hundred percent in all three departments. We are edging towards it. We can't win the series but we pulled one back after being 1-0 down, so we can take confidence from that and try to level the series. We are going with the same team," South Africa skipper Markram said at the toss.
