Team India break record for most sixes in an innings in a T20I against a full member side
Team India came up with a stunning batting display in the fourth T20I against South Africa at The Wanderers in Johannesburg on Friday, November 15. Batting first after winning the toss, they posted a mammoth 283-1 before bowling out the Proteas for 148 in 18.2 overs, clinching the series 3-1.
After Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a quick-fire 36 off 18, Sanju Samson (109* off 56) and Tilak Varma (120* off 47) featured in an unbroken second wicket stand of 210. Abhishek (4), Samson (9) and Varma (10) combined to hit 23 sixes in India's innings, which is a record for most sixes in a T20I innings against a full member side.
Earlier, India jointly held the record for most sixes in a T20I innings against a full member side when they smashed 22 sixes against Bangladesh earlier this year. West Indies also hit 22 sixes against South Africa in 2023, while Afghanistan struck 22 maximums against Ireland in 2019.
With their brilliant knocks, Varma and Samson also became the first batting pair from full member countries to score hundreds in the same innings. Also, while Samson became the first player to score three hundreds in T20Is in a calendar year, Varma became the fifth batter to score centuries in successive innings in T20Is, after Gustav Mckeon, Rilee Rossouw, Phil Salt and Samson.
India dominated the T20I series against South Africa
Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India were completely dominant in the four-match T20I series against the Proteas. They began the series with a thumping 61-run win at Kingsmead in Durban. The Men in Blue struggled with the bat in Gqeberha but reduced South Africa to 66-6 before the hosts sneaked home by three wickets in a chase of 125.
Batting first, the Men in Blue posted 219-6 in Centurion as Varma (107* off 56) struck his maiden T20I ton. South Africa gave India a scare in the chase, courtesy of Heinrich Klaasen (41 off 22) and Marco Jansen (54 off 17). However, India restricted their opponents to 208-7. In the final T20I in Johannesburg, they proved way too good for the hosts.
Varma was the Player of the Match in the fourth T20I for his hundred and was also the Player of the Series for scoring 280 runs four innings at a strike rate of 198.58. With the ball, leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy was the leading wicket-taker, with 12 scalps at an excellent average of 11.50.