Around 50 years ago, the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" became hugely popular in America. Come 2025, perhaps the same needs to be echoed to Indian selectors, along with a clip of Sanju Samson smashing the lights out of Marco Jansen and his peers in the fifth T20I in Ahmedabad.
India got off to a dream start against South Africa in the fifth and final T20I at Narendra Modi Stadium after being asked to bat first under lights, given the possibility of heavy dew later on. The lethal pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, reunited at the top of the order after Shubman Gill was ruled out injured, piledrived 63 runs within the powerplay on the back of 10 boundaries and two maximums with the former falling victim to a controversial decision at the tail end of the field restrictions. Apart from a couple of outside edges, each shot seemed to rival the other in quality, but a clear standout was Samson's defiant blow in the second over that announced his return to the big stages.
Samson faced back-to-back outswinging peaches from Lungi Ngidi to begin proceedings, followed by a half-slog on the third ball that found third man on one-bounce for a single. The wicket-keeper batter did not get strike bat until the final delivery of the second over, with the towering Marco Jansen steaming in from over the stumps. However, the Proteas made the fatal mistake of going slightly full and angling in to Samson's pads, just the invitation the Kerala batter needed. Samson strode out slightly and with a furious whip of the wrists sent the Kookaburra sailing over mid-on and all the way beyond the ropes for the first maximum of the night. Such was the purity of the connection that Samson did not even need to look where the ball was headed as he kept his head bowed down and quietly stared at the deck while everyone else at the stadium watched the white rock cruising in the night sky with admiration.
Twitterati was quick to give the potential shot of the match its due credit.
What a shot!
Sanju Samson ಬ್ಯಾಟ್ನಿಂದ ಸಿಡಿಲಬ್ಬರದ ಸಿಕ್ಸರ್! ⚡️
— Star Sports Kannada (@StarSportsKan)
📺 ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ | 👉 5th T20I | LIVE NOW | ನಿಮ್ಮ Star Sports ಕನ್ನಡ & JioHotstar ನಲ್ಲಿ.
Milestone!
Milestone Unlocked 🔓
— BCCI (@BCCI)
1⃣0⃣0⃣0⃣ T20I runs and counting for Sanju Samson 🙌
Updates ▶️ | | |
Sanju !!!
- Sanju Samson completed 1000 runs in T20I.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)
- Sanju Samson completed 8000 runs in T20s.
A STAR IN SHORTER FORMAT 🫡
Sanju on fire!
Sanju Samson, don't make me engage my both hands.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer)
Superb!
This has to be the shot of month!!
— Manish🇮🇳 (@manibhaii16)
Sanju samson at his peak ,what a six
unlocked!
TWO MILESTONES IN ONE SHOT! 🚀
— Boundary Bro (@BoundaryBro)
With that classy whip for SIX off Marco Jansen, Sanju Samson unlocks two massive achievements:
✅ 1000 T20I Runs for India 🇮🇳
✅ 8000 Runs in T20 Cricket 🌍
Shot!
1 SIX 1 FOHR BY SANJU SAMSON
— 420 (@ForIme420)
Proving why he's the better opener 🥶
Csk's sanju!
sanju samson’s first six in international cricket after becoming a super king 😋
— shan (@lekhakshan)
well played!
Six 🥵 Sanju Samson collects the first maximum of the series finale in Ahmedabad!
— ʀᴏɢᴇʀ (@rogercric)
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