India beat South Africa by 135 runs; Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson slam hundreds
India recorded its biggest-ever T20I win against South Africa, defeating the hosts by 135 runs in the fourth and final match at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday. With this victory, India sealed the series 3-1 and concluded their 2024 T20I calendar on a high. This is also India’s third-largest margin of victory in T20Is.
The Men In Blue have had a stellar year, winning 24 out of 26 matches, with their only two losses coming against Zimbabwe in July and South Africa earlier in this series.
Suryakumar Yadav, leading India, won the toss for the first time in the series and chose to bat. India’s openers, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, set a blistering pace, adding 73 runs in just 35 balls for the first wicket. LuthoSimpala provided South Africa with a breakthrough by dismissing Abhishek for 36.
However, Samson and Tilak Varma’s aggressive batting didn’t allow the South African bowlers to settle. Both players scored centuries and combined for a massive 210-run partnership for the second wicket, guiding India to a mammoth total of 283/1 in 20 overs.
Chasing 284, South Africa crumbled under pressure, losing wickets consistently. Arshdeep Singh led the bowling attack with three wickets, while Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel claimed two each, as India cruised to a comfortable win to secure the series.