Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma both scored centuries against South Africa in the fourth T20I on Friday, helping India achieve a first for a Full member nation in men's T20I cricket.
India came into the match 2-1 up in the series, meaning they could not lose it. South Africa could, however, level the series with a win in Johannesburg.
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to bat first. Openers Samson and Abhishek Sharma got off to a flier, reaching 50 in 4.1 overs. Abhishek departed in the sixth over, caught behind off Lutho Sipamla with India's score on 73.
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Varma, batting at No.3 for the second consecutive game, then joined Samson in the middle. For the rest of the innings, the pair put on an astonishing display of hitting, putting on an unbeaten 210 for the second wicket and lifting the score to 283-1. The pair hit 15 fours and 19 sixes between them.
Samson finished unbeaten on 109, his third T20I century, and Tilak on 120 – his second in a row, making him only the fifth player (Samson was the fourth) to do so.
Their centuries also helped India achieve a unique record among Full Member nations.
India become first Full Member nation with two centurions in the same men's T20I innings
This is just the third occurrence of multiple centurions in a single men's T20I innings. The first came May 2022, when Czech Republic's Sabawoon Davizi and Dylan Steyn scored 115* and 106 respectively against Bulgaria.
It happened for the second time in February this year. Japanese openers Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake and Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming scored 134* and 109* respectively, as they put on a 258-run opening stand against China, the highest partnership in men's T20I cricket.
This has taken place five times in women's T20I cricket, though. Bangladesh are the first Full Member side to do so, in 2019. They were second overall, after Uganda earlier that year. Qatar did it in 2022, while Argentina did it twice against Chile in 2023.
| Team | Players | Scores | Opposition | Date |
| Uganda Women | Prosscovia Alako & Rita Musamali | 116 & 103* | Mali | 20 Jun 2019 |
| Bangladesh Women | Nigar Sultana & Fargana Hoque | 113* & 110* | Maldives | 5 Dec 2019 |
| Qatar Women | Shahreen Bahadur & Aysha | 104* & 113* | Saudi Arabia | 25 Mar 2022 |
| Czech Republic Men | Sabawoon Davizi & Dylan Steyn | 115* & 106 | Bulgaria | 12 May 2022 |
| Argentina Women | Lucia Taylor & Albertina Galan | 169 & 145* | Chile | 13 Oct 2023 |
| Argentina Women | Veronica Vasquez & Maria Castiñeiras | 107* & 155* | Chile | 15 Oct 2023 |
| Japan Men | Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake & Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming | 134* & 109* | China | 15 Feb 2024 |
| India Men | Sanju Samson & Tilak Varma | 109* & 120* | South Africa | 15 Nov 2024 |
Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma smash records
Samson and Tilak's partnership of 210* is now the highest-ever for India in T20 cricket, across men's and women's cricket. It is also the first double century partnership for India in the format.
210* is also the highest-ever second wicket partnership in men's T20I cricket, overtaking Sybrand Engelbrecht and Michael Levitt's 193 for Netherlands against Namibia earlier this year.
India's 23 sixes in the innings broke their team record of 22 for the most in a single men's T20I innings. The record remains Zimbabwe's 27 against Gambia in October. India are now the first team to hit 20+ sixes in an innings thrice in men's T20I cricket. West Indies have done it twice.
283-1 is also India's highest-ever score outside India, and their second-highest overall after the 297-6 they posted against Bangladesh last month. It is also the highest men's T20I score scored for the loss of one wicket or fewer. Japan's aforementioned 258-0 was the previous record. The next best by a Full Member nation is Pakistan's 205-1 against South Africa at Centurion in 2021.
Tilak Varma's tally of 280 runs in the series is now the highest by an Indian batter in a T20I bilateral series, overtaking Virat Kohli's 231 in five matches against England in 2021.
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