Hyderabad, India

Suryakumar Yadav lauded Sanju Samson for his outstanding hundred in the 3rd T20I against Bangladesh in Hyderabad on Saturday (Oct 12), more so for playing a selfless knock and helping India amass the second-highest T20I total ever (297/6). While SKY slammed a stunning 75 off just 35 balls, Sanju hit his maiden T20I ton, hitting 111 in 47 deliveries, including 11 fours and eight sixes.

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After failing to perform in the first two games, Sanju came good in the last match of the series. From 62 runs off 29 balls, Sanju raced to 92 off 35 deliveries after hitting five sixes in one over of Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain. Then on 96, he smashed offie Mahedi Hasan over his head to complete a 40-ball hundred – the second-fastest for an Indian in T20Is.

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Reflecting on how Sanju paced his innings and even at a time when he could have carefully got to his century, he smashed one for a boundary, doing it fearlessly and selflessly, Suryakumar said the same approach is what he wants from his team, something the head coach Gautam Gambhir also echoed in the dressing room earlier.

"I think we have achieved a lot as a team," Suryakumar said during the post-match presser. 

"Most importantly, as I said at the start of the series, I want to have selfless cricketers in my team. We want to be a selfless team, and as Hardik [Pandya] said, we want to just enjoy each others' performance on the field and off the field and spend as much time as possible, and that camaraderie is carrying on the field, and we're having some fun."

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"The chat around the team has been like that. Gauti bhai said the same thing at the start of the series and when we went to Sri Lanka as well: 'No one is bigger than the team'. If you're at 99 or 49 or anything, if you feel you've to hit the ball out of the park for the team, you have to hit it, and Sanju did the same thing. Really happy for him,” he continued.

‘Flexibility benefitting us’ 

Suryakumar also stressed on players being flexible with their roles in the T20I team. With most of the top players rested for Bangladesh T20Is, the Indian Team had several debutants and emerging players in the XI in the three contested matches, with SKY dictating terms on what is needed out of whom.

"We've to be very flexible when it comes to batting and bowling as well," Suryakumar said. 

"Everyone has to chip in with few overs who can, and batters have to be very flexible. The way they showed it in the series was very commendable."

"Just [have to] maintain the good habits and continue that on the field and just be the same,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Team India will host New Zealand for three Tests at home, with the first match beginning on Wednesday (Oct 16) in Bengaluru. 

(With inputs from agencies)