"I wanted to perform..." Sanju Samson after winning POTM for 111-run knock vs Bangladesh in 3rd T20I in Hyderabad

Sanju Samson became the first Indian wicket-keeper batter to hit a T20I century.

The Indian cricket team thrashed Bangladesh by 133 runs in the final match of the three-match T20I series at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on October 12.

The Suryakumar Yadav-led India achieved several milestones with the bat. The Men in Blue recorded the second highest total in a T20I match. India also made the highest total by a test-playing nation in the shortest format.

After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Indian batters showed no mercy to Bangladesh’s bowling attack. Sanju Samson played a fantastic knock of 111 runs. Captain Suryakumar Yadav made 75 off 35 balls. The duo also stitched a huge partnership of 172 runs off just 70 deliveries.

Towards the end, all-rounders Riyan Parag (34) and Hardik Pandya (47) with their quick-fire knocks guided India to 297/6. For Bangladesh, four bowlers conceded over 50 runs. Speedster Tanzim Hasan Sakib took three wickets.

While chasing, Bangladesh’s middle-order batter Towhid Hridoy played a fighting knock of 63* off 42 balls as Bangladesh made 164/7 in 20 overs. India won the match by 133 runs. The Men in Blue whitewashed the visitors 3-0 in the three-match T20I series.

For India, this was their first T20I series victory at home with their new head coach Gautam Gambhir and new T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav.

I kept reminded myself that I should stick to my basics: Sanju Samson

Indian opener Sanju Samson notched up his maiden T20I century in the third T20I against Bangladesh in Hyderabad. The right-handed batter slammed 111 runs off just 47 balls, including 11 fours and eight maximums.

Samson also became the first Indian wicket-keeper batter to hit a hundred in the shortest format. During his 111-run knock, Samson hammered five consecutive sixes against leg-spinner Rishad Hossain in the 10th over of the first innings.

The 29-year-old also registered the the second fastest century by an Indian batter in T20I. Samson reached his maiden T20I ton in 40 deliveries. Ahead of him is Rohit Sharma, who scored a 35-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 2017.

After winning Player of the Match award for his glorious century, Sanju Samson opened up that he reminded himself about sticking with the basics. The 29-year-old further added that the dressing room backed him after he had a poor performance in the last series.

When Samson was asked about hitting five sixes in a row, the wicket-keeper batter added that he was chasing this for a while, and fortunately it happened in the third T20I against Bangladesh.

“The dressing room energy and the boys are happy for me. It can get frustrating, I could have done much better. With lots of experience, I know how to deal with the pressure. Playing for the country, you come in with a lot of pressure. That pressure was there, I wanted to perform. I kept reminding myself that I should stick to my basics. In the last series I got two ducks. The team management backed me. I have been trying to do something like this (five sixes in an over), I was chasing that and it happened today,” Sanju Samson said during the post-match presentation.

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