India registers their eighth 200-plus total in T20Is this year

India secured this feat during the third T20I against South Africa at Centurion. India was put to bat first by Proteas who won the toss. A half-century from Abhishek Sharma (50 in 25 balls, with three fours and five sixes) and a maiden T20I hundred by Tilak Varma (107* in 56 balls, with eight fours and seven sixes) powered India to 219/6 in their 20 overs.

This is the eighth 200-plus total for India in T20s this year, the most by a team surpassing seven each by Birmingham Bears in 2022, India in 2023, and Japan in 2024.

India's highest point as a T20I team came this year, as they slammed 297/6 against Bangladesh on October 12. It is the highest T20I total by a full-member ICC member and third-highest T20I total, with Zimbabwe's 344/4 against Gambia being the highest.

Sanju Samson (111 in 47 balls, with 11 fours and eight sixes), Suryakumar Yadav (75 in 35 balls with eight fours and five sixes) and Hardik Pandya (47 in 18 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) pushed India to 297 runs. India won the match comprehensively.

Also, Tilak Varma's maiden T20I ton was the fifth individual century for India in 2024 in T20s, the joint most by a team in a calendar year in T20s alongside Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016 and India in 2023. This year, Sanju Samson (two centuries), Abhishek Sharma (one) and Rohit Sharma (one) have also scored centuries for India.

Now coming to the match, India was put to bat first by Proteas who won the toss. A half-century from Abhishek Sharma (50 in 25 balls, with three fours and five sixes) and a maiden T20I hundred by Tilak Varma (107* in 56 balls, with eight fours and seven sixes) powered India to 219/6 in their 20 overs.

Keshav Maharaj (2/36) and Andile Simelane (2/34) were among the pick of the bowlers for Proteas.

During the run chase, Heinrich Klaasen (41 runs from 22 balls, 1 four and 4 sixes) and Marco Jansen (54 runs from 17 balls, 4 fours and 5 sixes) played a blitzkrieg knock and kept the Proteas in the game. But with the help of Arshdeep, it was India who smiled in the end.

Arshdeep Singh did the job both with the new ball and in the death overs as he picked up three crucial wickets and gave 37 runs in his four-over spell. Varun Chakaravarthy bagged two wickets in his four-over spell.

Tilak Varma was named the 'Player of the Match' following his staggering performance with the bat and India now leads the four-match series 2-1 with one game to go. (ANI)