Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma slam centuries to help India achieve Full Member first

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.