Sanju Samson Comeback: Double Milestone in India vs South Africa T20I
Sanju Samson marked his return to India’s T20I playing XI with a statement performance, achieving two major career milestones during his comeback match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. After spending five consecutive matches on the sidelines, the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter was recalled as an opener in place of the injured Shubman Gill and made the opportunity count by crossing 8,000 runs in overall T20 cricket while also completing 1,000 runs in T20 internationals. The Ahmedabad fixture was Samson’s first T20I appearance since India’s tour of Australia in October.
With this achievement, Samson became only the seventh Indian cricketer to reach the 8,000-run landmark in men’s T20s, joining an elite group that includes Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Suryakumar Yadav, Suresh Raina, and KL Rahul. He also entered another exclusive list by becoming the 14th Indian batter to score 1,000 T20I runs. Both milestones were brought up in emphatic fashion as Samson launched Marco Jansen for a towering six over long-on, underlining his intent on return.
Indian Batters with 8,000+ Runs in Men’s T20s
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Virat Kohli: 13,543 runs (414 matches)
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Rohit Sharma: 12,248 runs (463 matches)
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Shikhar Dhawan: 9,797 runs (334 matches)
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Suryakumar Yadav: 8,970 runs (345 matches)
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Suresh Raina: 8,654 runs (336 matches)
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KL Rahul: 8,125 runs (239 matches)
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Sanju Samson: 8,000* runs (319 matches)
Samson also impressed with the speed at which he reached the 1,000-run mark in T20 internationals. He achieved the milestone in just 679 balls, making him the joint fourth-fastest Indian to do so, behind Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, while matching Hardik Pandya’s tally.
Fewest Balls to Reach 1,000 T20I Runs for India
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528: Abhishek Sharma
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573: Suryakumar Yadav
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679: Hardik Pandya
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679: Sanju Samson*
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686: KL Rahul
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690: Tilak Varma
With the series nearing its conclusion, Samson will be eager to capitalise on this rare opportunity after falling out of favour in recent months despite finishing 2024 on a strong note. His return came at the expense of Shubman Gill, who picked up an injury ahead of the Lucknow T20I after managing just 32 runs across the first three matches of the series. India made three changes to their playing XI for the Ahmedabad clash as a result.
Attention will now turn to the selectors, who are set to announce India’s T20 World Cup squad on Saturday, December 20. While Samson is widely expected to be included in the squad, a big innings in Ahmedabad could significantly strengthen his case for a regular spot in the playing XI for the marquee tournament, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka next year.
Earlier in the match, South Africa captain Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Proteas made one change to their lineup, bringing in spin all-rounder George Linde in place of fast bowler Anrich Nortje.
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