A look at the record-breaking run spree in T20Is as India beat South Africa for 283

India continued their remarkable purple patch in the T20 internationals, scoring 283 for 1 against South Africa on Friday.

Sanju Samson contributed a century to India’s 135-run win over the Proteas and here the PA news agency looks at his form and recent results in the format.

Record books rewritten

Four of the five highest scores in men’s T20I history came in just over a month as India and Zimbabwe came up short.

– India’s performance in Johannesburg on Friday comes five weeks after their 297-6 thrashing of Bangladesh in Hyderabad on October 12, which ranks third on the all-time list.

– Between these two games, Zimbabwe posted their highest and fourth highest T20I scores, with their astonishing 344 for four against Gambia topping the list. Sikandar Raza scored 133 off 43 balls, including 15 sixes, and Tadiwanashe Marumani, Clive Madande and Brian Bennett also scored impressive half-centuries.

1. 344/4 – Zimbabwe v Gambia, October 23, 2024

2. 314/3 – Nepal vs Mongolia, September 27, 2023

3. 297/6 – India v Bangladesh, October 12, 2024

4. 286/5 – Zimbabwe – Seychelles, October 19, 2024

5. 283/1 – India v South Africa, November 15, 2024

– Gambia were then bowled out by 54 runs, meaning Zimbabwe’s lead of 290 runs was also a world record.

– It came four days after they scored 286 for five against Seychelles, with Bennett scoring 91 and Marumani 86 in an opening stand of 145 in 9.4 overs.

– The score at second on the list, Nepal’s 314 for three against Mongolia, dates back just over a year to September 2023. Kushal Malla hit 137 off 50 balls before his side bowled out Mongolia for 41 and 273 Runs won.

Boom or bust

Samson’s goal against the Proteas continued an exceptional opening scoring run.

– He also made a century in the above-mentioned game against Bangladesh, 111 from 47 balls with 11 fours and eight sixes.

– This was followed by 107 off 50, with seven fours and ten sixes, in the first of the four-match series in South Africa. He became the first Indian and only the fourth batsman with consecutive T20I hundreds, along with France’s Gustav Mckeon, South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw and England’s Phil Salt.

– Samson was then sent off without scoring in the next two games before remaining unbeaten on Friday with 109 off 56 balls with six fours and nine sixes.

• 111 vs Bangladesh, Oct 12 (47 balls, 11×4, 8×6)

• 107 vs South Africa, November 8 (50 balls, 7×4, 10×6)

• 0 v South Africa, November 10 (3 balls)

• 0 v South Africa, November 13 (2 balls)

• 109no v South Africa, November 15 (56 balls, 6×4, 9×6)

– He had yet to reach a T20 International hundred before this current run, with just two fifties and a top score of 77, and has hit 27 sixes in his last five games, compared to 19 in 28 innings before that.

– Tilak Varma’s 120 not out, 47 balls with nine fours and ten sixes, made India the first team to score two hundreds in the same T20I innings against another Test playing nation.

– After his 107 not out in the third game of the series, Varma’s name was added to the list of consecutive Centurions.