Kumar Bahukhandi
New Delhi: Team India registered a thrilling 11-run win against South Africa in the third T20 International at Centurion and the visiting team took an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-match series. The win was significant as it was India’s eighth 200-plus score in T20 matches in 2024, setting a new record for the most 200-plus scores by any team in a calendar year.
Batting first, India posted a strong total of 219/6 thanks to Tilak Verma’s extraordinary century. Verma scored an unbeaten 107 off 56 balls with the help of eight fours and seven sixes, showing his aggressive batting. Abhishek Sharma supported Verma well and scored 50 off 25 balls with the help of three fours and five sixes.
India had set a record of scoring more than 200 runs seven times in a year in 2023, which was broken with this innings. The other teams to achieve this feat seven times in a calendar year were Birmingham Bears (2022) and Japan (2024).
Tilak Verma’s century marked India’s fifth individual century in T20 Internationals in 2024. This feat equaled the record for most centuries scored by a team in a calendar year in T20. This record was previously held by Royal Challengers Bangalore (2016) and India (2023). Apart from Verma, Sanju Samson (with two centuries), Abhishek Sharma and Rohit Sharma have also scored centuries in T20Is for India in 2024.
South Africa came back valiantly in the chase thanks to the strong batting of Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen. Klaasen scored 41 runs off 22 balls, including four sixes, while Jansen scored 54 runs off 17 balls, including five sixes and four fours. Jansen’s innings was notable for being the fastest half-century against India in T20 Internationals. Despite his efforts, South Africa fell 11 runs short of the target.
Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler among the Indian bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 37 runs. He played a vital role in the powerplay and death overs, including dismissing the dangerous Jansen in the final over.
