Sanju Samson’s enterprising half-century got the Kerala cricket team off to a three-wicket win over Services in their first match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Samson, who was retained by the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the Indian Premier League 2025 season, smashed three sixes and 10 fours to top-score in the contest with 75 from 45 balls to help Kerala reach 153/7, winning the game with 11 balls to spare.
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Chasing 150, the Kerala cricket team captain gave his side a brisk start with four fours in the first over from pacer Gaurav Sharma. He followed it up with two more boundaries off leg-spinner Mohit Rathee in the fourth over with Kerala going past the 50-run mark in the next over.
It was an exhibition of boundary-hitting from Samson with 36 of his total 41 runs in the powerplay coming off hits to the fence. Kerala raced to 62/0 at the end of the first six overs.
Samson added 73 runs from just 46 balls with Rohan Kunnummal for the opening wicket to set the foundation of the chase. However, he had to adopt a cautious approach as Kerala lost two wickets in the gap of four deliveries in the eighth over.
The wicketkeeper-batter got to his fifty, off just 34 balls, in style with a six off Amit Shukla in the 11th over. He shifted gears with two sixes and a four off Shukla’s next over to take Kerala closer to the target.
Samson was dismissed for a well-made 75 in the 14th over as he charted another memorable innings at the venue where he scored his first T20I hundred against Bangladesh last month.
Earlier, medium-pacer Akhil Scaria recorded impressive figures of 5/30, including four wickets in the penultimate over of the innings, to restrict Services to 149/9 in 20 overs. Pacer M D Nidheesh finished with 2/26 while Vinod Kumar C V and Sijomon Joseph picked up a wicket apiece.
