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Sports

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson equal Rohit-Rahul’s record with 93-run stand in 1st T20I vs NZ

hellohimachalse@gmail.com 22 Oct 2026 1 hour ago

New Delhi: India’s opening pair, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, equalled the record for the most fifty-plus opening stands for in a calendar year in T20Is on Thursday. Samson and Abhishek achieved the feat during the 1st T20I of the ongoing five-match series against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Samson and Abhishek combined to get India off to a flying start in the 226-run chase in Christchurch with a 93-run stand for the first wicket. Samson slammed a quickfire 67 off 33 balls, while Abhishek scored 29 off 12 balls. India needed a quick start in the run chase, and the duo joined hands to provide exactly that.

With their 93-run stand, Samson and Abhishek equalled the record for most fifty-plus opening stands for India in T20Is in a calendar year. Samson and Abhishek now have five 50-plus stands in 2026. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul shared five fifty-plus opening stands in 2021, while Abhishek and Shubman Gill also shared five fifty-plus opening stands in T20Is in 2025.

Most 50-plus opening stands for India in a calendar year in T20Is:

5 – KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma in 2021

5 – Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill in 2025

5 – Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson in 2026

4 – Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma in 2018

Samson and Abhishek have been backed by the Indian team management as their preferred opening pairing in T20Is over young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has been asked to wait for his chances. The experienced pair continues to deliver at the top for India with their exploits.

On Thursday, they once again took the attack to the New Zealand bowlers from the word go to help India get the kind of start they needed in the 226-run chase. Abhishek smashed 3 sixes and two fours en route to his 12-ball 29, while Samson’s 67 was laced with 4 sixes and 8 fours.

Samson continues fine form

Samson, who struggled with inconsistency earlier this year, seems to have managed to find his groove again. The right-hand opener notched up his eighth fifty-plus score for India in T20Is in 2026 en route to his 67-run knock against New Zealand.

He is now joint-third on the list of batters with most fifty-plus scores for India in a calendar year alongside Ishan Kishan, who has also smashed 8 half-centuries in 2026 so far. Suryakumar Yadav leads the elite list with 11 fifties in T20Is in 2022, followed by Virat Kohli (9 in 2022) and Abhishek Sharma (9 in 2026) in the second spot.

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