India Creates History: Breaking Records in T20 Cricket Against South Africa

In the third T20I in Centurion, India won by 11 runs against South Africa. It was India's eighth 200-plus score in T20s this year, with the men in blue posting 219/6. Tilak Varma played an undefeated knock of over 100 runs. Abhishek Sharma blasted a rapid 50-run effort that saw South Africa rebuild, with Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen punching back passionately. But they came up 11 runs short.

Hyderabad: Team India has taken an unassailable 2-1 lead in the ongoing 4-match T20 International series against South Africa after a nail-biting win by 11 runs in the third match played at Centurion.

It was a significant win, too, as the match recorded it as their eighth 200-plus total in T20 matches this year, a new calendar-year high for any team.

Deciding to bat first, India scored 219/6 with the help of a century from Tilak Varma. Varma scored 107 runs from just 56 balls with the help of eight fours and seven sixes. Varma got good support from Abhishek Sharma, who quickly completed his half-century, scoring 50 off just 25 balls, including three boundaries and five maximums.

With this innings, India surpassed its seventh 200-plus total of any year (against hitherto in 2023). This blasted them past the other teams to have hit that milestone on seven occasions in a single year: Birmingham Bears (2022) and Japan (2024).

It was also India's fifth individual ton in T20 Internationals in 2024, following three scored by Suryakumar Yadav and one from Ruturaj Gaikwad. This brought the record for most hundreds scored by a team in a calendar year in T20s. India had earlier shared the record with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2016).

In 2024, besides Varma, Sanju Samson (2), Abhishek Sharma, and Rohit have also registered centuries while playing for India in the T20 format.

There was some resistance from South Africa, as a few big hits from Klaasen scored 41 runs off 22 balls with four sixes, and Jansen hammered a quickfire 54 off just 17 balls, hitting five sixes and 4 fours. Marco Jansen's special of the innings was to create a record fastest fifty against India in T20 Internationals.

South Africa's efforts fell 11 runs short of the target.

Arshdeep Singh was the best among the Indian bowlers, taking 3 for 37. He was vital during the powerplay and death overs, taking the wicket of a dangerous Jansen in the last over.