“A special appreciation for Sanju Samson” - BCCI secretary Jay Shah reacts to India’s 61-run win in 1st T20I against South Africa
BCCI secretary Jay Shah took to social media to commend the Men in Blue for their dominant victory in the opening match of their four-game T20I series against South Africa. The first T20I was played at Kingsmead, Durban, on Friday, November 8.
Asked to bat first, Sanju Samson played a remarkable knock, scoring his second T20I century off just 47 balls. He finished with 107 runs off 50 deliveries with the aid of seven fours and 10 sixes. Tilak Varma also made a valuable contribution, smashing 33 off 18 balls as India posted 202/8 in their 20 overs.
In reply, the hosts lost their captain Aiden Markram in the very first over. From there, India’s bowlers never looked back, taking wickets at regular intervals. Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi claimed three wickets each as South Africa were bowled out for 141.
Reacting to India’s commanding 61-run victory, Jay Shah took to X to praise the players for their outstanding efforts. He wrote:
"Great start for the Men in Blue in the T20I series against the Proteas! A solid display of character from the young team in holding back a dangerous batting line-up in the chase. A special appreciation for @IamSanjuSamson for his second consecutive hundred in T20I’s, and the wrist spin of @chakaravarthy29 and Ravi Bishnoi, leading the team to a convincing victory!"
Meanwhile, Sanju Samson was named Player of the Match for his outstanding knock of 107.
“Enjoyed my time in the middle” - Sanju Samson reflects on his match-winning innings
Sanju Samson, who scored 107 off 50 balls, became the first Indian batter to score centuries in two consecutive T20I matches.
Reflecting on his performance during the post-match presentation, he said:
“Really enjoyed my time in the middle. Playing it well, maximum utilization of my current form you can say.The intent, we have been talking about being aggressive and keeping the team ahead of yourselves. 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," [as quoted by Crizbuzz].
The second game of the series is scheduled at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Sunday, November 10.