Sanju Samson's Carnage Helps India Register Their Highest T20I Powerplay Score Vs West Indies

Sanju Samson in action vs WI [Source: AFP]

Indian openers were in full flow on Friday night, as they ripped the West Indies bowling to shreds in Ranchi. The teams took on each other in the second of the five-match T20I series, after Shreyas Iyer's century guided India to an 8-wicket win earlier in the week.

After being put in to bat first on the night, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson were quick to pounce on the helpful conditions, as they racked up the highest powerplay score against the Caribbeans in T20Is.

Sanju Samson show in Ranchi as India register powerplay record

To get started, Abhishek Sharma batted the majority of the first two overs and scored 20 off 12 with two fours and a six, before Roston Chase dismissed him. His opening partner, Sanju Samson, got dropped at the 2.2-over mark off Akeal Hosein, and the batter did not look back.

By the end of the powerplay, Samson racked up a 21-ball-50 with a four past mid-off. Courtesy of his fifty, India got their best powerplay score against West Indies in the format.

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India's highest powerplay scores vs WI in T20Is

1.  79/1 - Ranchi, 2026 (Tonight)
2. 72/0 - Mumbai (Wankhede), 2019
3. 67/2 - Lauderhill, 2016.

Samson cements T20I opening spot?

Leading up to the Ranchi T20I, Sanju Samson had scored a string of low scores. In the tour of Japan, he only got 9, 7 and 2 runs in three matches, which included the Asian Games semi-final and final.

This was followed by 11(9) in the opening match of the ongoing series. So, the chips were down for Samson and calls of replacing him with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi kept gaining prominance.

However, after this swashbuckling performance, where Samson is unbeaten at 74 off 34 at the time of writing, the 15-year-old prodigy might have to wait for his chance for some more time. Abhishek Sharma also scored a crucial 61 off just 28 on a tricky pitch in the Asian Games 2026 final and had a century to his name recently.

So, unless India decides to try out new combinations, Sooryavanshi's wait to break into the playing XI is likely to prolong.

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