Star India wicketkeeper Sanju Samson achieved a new personal milestone in the 1st T20I of a four-match series against South Africa on Friday. Samson hit his second consecutive T20I century, scoring 107 off merely 50 balls as India gained a 1-0 advantage in the series in Durban. In doing so, Samson became the seventh-quickest Indian batsman to accumulate 7,000 T20 runs. He reached the milestone in his 269th innings, matching former India player Robin Uthappa on the list.
Nevertheless, Samson reached the milestone faster than former India captain MS Dhoni, who required 305 innings to achieve it. KL Rahul leads the rankings, needing only 191 innings to achieve the milestone, followed by Virat Kohli (212), Shikhar Dhawan (246), Suryakumar Yadav (249), Suresh Raina (251), and Rohit Sharma (258) as the next quickest.
A new generation of Superstars
After Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will hang up their boots, there is a lot of talent to carry on the Indian cricket forward. Here are some of them:
Rishabh Pant
Pant’s displays have not only showcased his talent but have also highlighted a character well-suited for the rigorous challenges of captaincy. Recognized for his bold shot choices and composed attitude in tense moments, Pant has demonstrated that he can excel under pressure—a crucial quality for any leader.
Pant possesses prior Test leadership experience, having acted as vice-captain in England. He was about to captain India during a series impacted by the pandemic when a delayed Test against England forced the selectors into an unforeseen choice.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
India captain Rohit Sharma is completely unsurprised by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s impressive performance in Test cricket, a product of the young left-handed batsman’s unquenchable desire to learn and excel at the top level.
Since his debut in mid-2023, Jaiswal has scored 1217 runs in 11 Tests, including three centuries, boasting an impressive average of 64.05.
Jaiswal enjoyed a remarkable series against England earlier this year, scoring more than 700 runs in five Tests.
Sanju Samson- In a class of his own
Sanju was always tipped for some big things. He always had that extra time timing the ball, in addition to exceptional glove work and outfield finesse.
Though recent of his knock have furthered his stature as a class performer.
As per Suryakumar Yadav, Samson’s tireless quest for boundaries, even as he approaches milestones, showcased his steadfast dedication.
“The amount of hard work he has put in over the last few years, doing the boring work, he is eating the fruits of that. He was in the 90s, but still, he was looking for a boundary, playing for the team which shows the character of the man, and that’s what we look for,” Suryakumar said in the post-match presentation.
