Samson Hits 100 T20I Sixes as India Achieve Milestone vs West Indies

Team India made history, becoming the second team to complete 2,000 sixes as a unit in T20I cricket on Wednesday. During the fourth T20I against West Indies, Samson's lofted shot over long-off in the third over bowled by Roston Chase marked India's 2,000th six in T20I cricket. India are only the second team to reach the milestone, having done so in 297 matches. West Indies are the first team to have reached 2,000 T20I sixes, with 2,026 sixes in 259 matches.

New Zealand (1,585), Pakistan (1,507) and South Africa (1,407) occupy the other spots in the top five.

Notably, Samson also became the sixth Indian to hit 100 T20I sixes during the fourth T20I against West Indies at Hyderabad's Uppal Stadium on Wednesday.

Following West Indies skipper Shai Hope's onslaught and fourth century of the tour, Samson started the 248-run chase in ultra-aggressive fashion, scoring 56 off 23 balls, with six fours and four sixes, at a strike rate of 243.47.

Samson now has 102 T20I sixes, with Rohit Sharma (205), Suryakumar Yadav (179), Abhishek Sharma (141* at the time of writing), Hardik Pandya (126) and Virat Kohli (124) being the other members of India's 100-sixes club in T20Is.

This year has been very productive for Samson, who has scored 687 runs in 24 matches and innings at an average of 29.86 and a strike rate of 178.44, with seven fifties and a best score of 97*. This also includes three successive fifties, from a Super Eight T20 World Cup clash against the same opposition to the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand, which earned him the Player of the Tournament award and helped India clinch their third T20 World Cup title.

In 76 T20Is and 68 innings, Samson has scored 1,719 runs at an average of 27.28 and a strike rate of 158.87, with three centuries and 10 fifties.

At the end of the Powerplay during the chase, India were 80/2, with skipper Shreyas Iyer and Abhishek Sharma at the crease.

Coming to the match, India elected to field first, but West Indies made them pay. Knocks from Hope (102* off 50 balls, with four fours and nine sixes), and his 52-run stand with Jewel Andrew (21 off 16 balls, with two fours and a six), set the tone. Shimron Hetmyer (33 off 12 balls, with four fours and two sixes), Rovman Powell (24 off 17 balls, with three fours and a six) and Sherfane Rutherford (49* off 26 balls, with four fours and three sixes) also chipped in with valuable runs, taking West Indies to 247/3.

Prince Yadav (1/36) was the pick of the bowlers for India, with Arshdeep Singh (1/52) and Mayank Yadav (0/52) being carted around the park.

Original News: ANI

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