After two difficult outings, Sanju Samson bounced back and scored his career’s third century to help the Indian cricket team seal the four-match series 3-1 against South Africa in Johannesburg on Friday.

Retained by the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the Indian Premier League 2025 auction, Sanju Samson scored an unbeaten 109 in just 56 balls striking at a rate of 194.64. His innings in the series decider at the Wanderers Stadium was laced with six fours and nine sixes.

It was Samson’s third T20I century in five matches and a much-needed effort following ducks in his last two innings. Only Rohit Sharma (5) and Suryakumar Yadav (4) have scored more T20I hundreds for India.

Samson, however, is the first cricketer to register three T20I tons in a calendar year.

During the knock, he forged an unbeaten 210-run partnership for the second wicket in just 85 balls with Tilak Verma, the highest for any wicket for India. It eclipsed Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh’s unbeaten 190-run stand against Afghanistan in January.

Earlier in the innings, Samson had a 73-run partnership for the opening wicket with Abhishek Sharma, who was dismissed for an 18-ball 36.

Tilak Verma smashed 120 not out in just 47 balls at a rate of 255.31, helped by nine fours and 10 sixes, and became the second Indian after Sanju Samson to record two consecutive centuries in T20I cricket.

India scored 283/1 for their second-highest total in T20 International cricket. Their highest is 297/6, scored against Bangladesh last month. However, the rampaging duo helped set a new record for the most sixes for India in an innings, the 23 maximums eclipsing the 22 from the Bangladesh game.

Opening the innings, Samson measured his stay and let loose at regular intervals and raised his fifty in just 28 balls with a six off Tristan Stubbs at the start of the 10th over. Tilak Verma, meanwhile, was aggressive from the onset.

Samson completed his hundred in 39 balls with a four off Gerald Coetzee, racing from fifty to his ton in just 11 deliveries.

In response, the South Africa cricket team crumbled in the chase and was dismissed for 148 after Arshdeep Singh struck early to take 3/20 in three overs, handing India a 135-run win.