"Trying to make maximum utilisation of my current form": Sanju Samson

India`s Sanju Samson (C) celebrates reaching his century during the first T20 international cricket match between South Africa and India at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban. Pic/AFP

In his last six competitive matches, Sanju Samson has smashed three centuries, including one in the Duleep Trophy. The 107-run knock against South Africa was Sanju Samson's second T20I ton after his 111 against Bangladesh last month.

The knock has helped him rub out the tag of underperformer.

"Really enjoyed my time out there in the middle. I made maximum utilisation of my current form you can say," Samson said after collecting his Player of the Match award following India's 61-run win over South Africa in the first T20I. Asked about the team's game plan, the Rajasthan Royals skipper spoke about intent.

"The intent, we have been talking about being aggressive and keeping the team ahead of yourselves. Once you play three-four balls you are looking for the boundary," said Samson. He knows that he plays a 'high risk high reward game."

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"I'm not thinking much, sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't. I am happy it worked out well today." Even Samson's skipper Suryakumar Yadav spoke glowingly about the work put in by the player all through the last decade.

"The amount of hard work he has done in the last 10 years, doing the boring work, he is eating the fruits of that. He was in the 90s but still he was looking for a boundary, playing for the team and shows the character of the man and that's what we look for," Suryakumar said.

The Indians came up with a brilliant all-round performance after Sanju Samson set them up with a scintillating 50-ball 107, becoming the first Indian batter to score centuries in back-to-back T20Is.

Out came Tilak Varma (33) and the 22-year-old, along with Samson, boosted the ever-growing run rate and took India to the 150-run milestone in the 14th over. Samson continued his onslaught and reached his historic century in 47 deliveries in the 15th over but Maharaj got the wicket of Varma later in the same over.

Attempting to shift gears, Samson decided to target Peter Nqabayomzi in the next over and despite hitting the second ball of the over far into the stands departed in the same over. A short ball Samson launched into the sky and Tristian Stubbs pouched an impressive catch right on the boundary line to send the centurion back to the pavilion. Samson and Varma shared a 77-run partnership that set up the stage for India to reach a massive total.

(With Agencies Inputs)