We often see batters taking a quick approach to score runs in T20Is. But that approach also comes with the risk of losing wickets early.
So we see batters getting out in 30s or 40s without caring much about personal milestones. And it’s not that big of a deal in T20Is, as scoring quick runs matters the most.
But there have been instances where batters found a perfect blend of scoring runs while hitting centuries. Now scoring hundreds in the shortest format isn’t easy. However, a few batters have scored not one but two back-to-back centuries in T20Is.
Here we’ll look at the batters who have scored consecutive T20I centuries.
1. Gustav Mckeon (France)
109 vs Switzerland & 101 vs Norway, July 2022
In July 2022, Gustav Mckeon created history by hitting consecutive centuries in T20I cricket. You may not have heard his name a lot, but he achieved the feat in his second and third T20I innings after his debut.
His maiden T20I hundred came against Switzerland during the T20 World Cup sub-regional qualifiers. France elected to bat first, and Mckeon opened the innings for them.
The right-hand batter scored 109 runs in 61 balls, including 5 fours and 9 sixes. He was the lone fighter, as France posted 157 runs on the board. Switzerland, in response, chased down the target on the last ball with a wicket to spare.
Mckeon brought up his second hundred two days later against Norway. The French batter again stood tall on the pitch, scoring 101 runs off 53 balls at a strike rate of 190.56.
He helped France reach 158, which proved to be enough as Norway fell short by 11 runs in the chase.
2. Rilee Rossouw (South Africa)
100* vs India & 109 vs Bangladesh, October 2022
A few months after Mckeon’s feat, South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw joined him in the elite list. Rossouw entered South Africa’s T20I side after six years and made history.
What makes his achievement special is he scored back-to-back ducks before hammering consecutive hundreds. In the three-match bilateral series against India in October 2022, Rossouw bagged ducks in the first two games.
But in the third T20I, the left-hand batter smashed an unbeaten 100 off 48 balls at a strike rate of 208.33. His whirlwind knock pushed South Africa’s total to 227, which they defended to get a consolation win.
Rossouw’s next hundred came in the 2022 T20 World Cup against Bangladesh. Before this, South Africa had a game against Zimbabwe, but Rossouw couldn’t bat due to rain, and the match ended with no result.
Against Bangladesh, though, the Proteas batters scored 109 runs while batting at No. 3. His knock propelled South Africa to 205 runs, which Bangladesh failed to chase by 104 runs.
Also Read | List: First Batter to Score T20I Century from Each Country
3. Phil Salt (England)
109* & 119 vs West Indies, December 2023
Phil Salt became the first batter to score back-to-back T20I hundreds against the same opposition. The right-hand batter was in absolute touch against the West Indies during the five-match series in December 2023.
In the third T20I, England were chasing a huge target of 222 runs. And Salt brought out his best just in time.
He slammed an unbeaten 109 off 56 balls, including 4 fours and 9 sixes, while opening the innings. His knock helped England crush the target with a ball to spare.
Three days later, Salt took it a notch higher in the fourth match. This time, England batted first and posted a mountain of 267 on the board.
Salt was the destructor-in-chief, scoring 119 runs in 57 balls, including 7 fours and 10 sixes. Later, England’s bowlers defended the target to level the series at 2-2.
4. Sanju Samson (India)
111 vs Bangladesh & 107 vs South Africa, October-November 2024
Sanju Samson became the latest entrant to this elite list. He showcased his batting muscle against Bangladesh and South Africa within a month.
Samson made his T20I debut in 2015, and in the sporadic opportunities thereafter, he didn’t impress much. But after his elevation as an opener during the Bangladesh series in October 2024, he showed his potential in the third match.
The Kerala batter smashed a 40-ball hundred on a flat Hyderabad deck, the second fastest by an Indian in T20Is. He later perished on 111 off 47 balls, including 11 fours and 8 sixes. Samson’s knock helped India score 297, which is the highest total by a full-member team in T20Is.
About a month later, India travelled to South Africa for a four-match series. Despite the change in conditions, Samson continued from where he left off in India.
In the first match in Durban, the keeper-batter smashed 107 in 50 balls, making a case for the permanent opening slot. Samson’s knock propelled India to put up 202 runs on the board, which they defended by bowling out South Africa for 141.
5. Tilak Varma (India)
107* & 120* vs South Africa, November 2024
After Samson notched up the record, Tilak Varma followed in the footsteps of the keeper-batter to join this elite list. First, he watched Samson achieve the feat and then he smacked back-to-back hundreds against South Africa in the third and fourth match of the series.
Varma came to bat at No. 3 in the third T20I in Centurion, and he became a T20I centurion. The left-hander scored an unbeaten 107 runs in 56 balls at a strike rate of 191. His blitzkrieg powered India’s total to 219 runs.
In the next match, Varma went a notch higher. He smashed an unbeaten 120 while partnering with Samson, who also scored an unbeaten 109, for 210 runs. Varma faced 47 balls in his knock, hitting 9 fours and 10 sixes.
The duo of Varma and Samson made the lives of South African bowlers difficult with their fearless attack. They also became only the third duo to log centuries in a single T20I innings.
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