Sanju Samson made a significant impact in the Super Four match against Sri Lanka by being promoted in the batting order to number 5. In this crucial game, Samson scored an impressive 39 off 23 balls, maintaining a strike rate of 169.57. His performance included three sixes and one four, helping him surpass Gautam Gambhir’s record in T20I cricket for India. Samson now has 969 runs in 41 innings from 48 matches, compared to Gambhir’s 932 runs in 36 innings from 37 matches.
Sanju Samson debuted in T20I against Zimbabwe in 2015 but faced a hiatus of four years from the national team before making his comeback in 2019. Despite being part of the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad, he primarily remained on the bench. Nonetheless, he has now established himself as a regular member of the final XI and is likely to be a key player for the 2026 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma remains the leading run-scorer for India in T20Is, with 4231 runs in 151 innings from 159 matches, despite retiring more than a year ago after leading India to a World Cup victory in 2024. Following Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli has accumulated 4188 runs, while Suryakumar Yadav, who succeeded Rohit as India’s T20I captain, stands third with 2669 runs.
Under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy, India has enjoyed considerable success, culminating in their upcoming match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final scheduled for September 28. This leadership change marks a promising phase for Indian cricket, with newer talents continuing to emerge and make their mark on the international stage.