Sanju Samson smashed 56 off 23 balls to join India’s 100-six T20I club as Team India became the second side to cross 2,000 sixes in the format.
IMAGE: Sanju Samson hit six boundaries and four sixes in his 23-ball 56 against the West Indies in the fourth T20 International in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Photograph: ANI Photo
Key Points
- Sanju Samson became the sixth Indian to hit 100 T20I sixes, reaching 102 with a blistering 56 off 23 balls against West Indies in Hyderabad.
- Samson has scored 687 runs in 2026 at a strike rate of 178.44, following a run of three successive T20 World Cup fifties that earned him Player of the Tournament honours.
- In 76 T20Is, Samson has amassed 1,719 runs, including three centuries and 10 half-centuries, at a strike rate of 158.87.
- India became the second team to reach 2,000 T20I sixes, achieving the milestone in 297 matches, behind West Indies’ tally of 2,026 in 259 matches.
Sanju Samson powered his way into India’s T20I six-hitting elite on Wednesday, reaching the 100-sixes milestone with a blistering 56 off 23 balls against West Indies in the fourth T20I at Hyderabad’s Uppal Stadium.
India also became only the second team to smash 2,000 sixes in the format.
Samson Joins India’s 100-Six Club
Samson reached the landmark during India’s chase of 248 after West Indies captain Shai Hope hammered an unbeaten century. The wicketkeeper-batter struck six fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 243.48, giving India an aggressive start.
He now has 102 sixes in T20Is, joining Rohit Sharma (205), Suryakumar Yadav (179), Abhishek Sharma (141), Hardik Pandya (126), and Virat Kohli (124) in the elite club.
A Prolific Year for the Wicketkeeper-Batter
Samson has enjoyed a productive 2026, scoring 687 runs in 24 matches and innings at an average of 29.86 and a strike rate of 178.44, including seven half-centuries and a highest score of 97 not out.
He also struck three consecutive fifties, beginning against West Indies in the T20 World Cup Super Eight and continuing through the final against New Zealand. His run earned him the Player of the Tournament award and helped India secure their third T20 World Cup title.
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Samson’s T20I Numbers Continue to Grow
In 76 T20Is and 68 innings, Samson has scored 1,719 runs at an average of 27.28 and a strike rate of 158.87. His tally includes three centuries and 10 half-centuries, underlining his ability to provide explosive starts in the shortest format.
India Cross 2,000 Sixes in T20Is
India also reached a significant team milestone during the fourth T20I. Samson’s lofted shot over long-off off Roston Chase in the third over brought up India’s 2,000th six in T20I cricket.
India reached the mark in 297 matches, becoming the second team to do so.
West Indies lead the tally with 2,026 sixes in 259 matches, while New Zealand (1,585), Pakistan (1,507) and South Africa (1,407) complete the top five.
