Sanju Samson strengthened his claim for national selection with a breathtaking double century in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match on Saturday (October 12). Playing for Kerala, the stylish right-hander converted his maiden List A century to a big one against Goa in Alur.
Opting to bat first, Kerala lost both the openers – Robin Uthappa (10) and Vishnu Vinod (7) – cheaply. But Samson, batting at No. 3, looked in fine touch right from the outset. He partnered with Sachin Baby and the duo made the mockery of Goa bowlers during a herculean 338-run partnership for the third wicket.
In particular, Samson was the aggressor as he notched up his maiden List A ton in rather quick time and then marched towards 150 in just 99 deliveries. Sensing an opportunity of a double century, Samson displayed his full range of strokeplay to reach the landmark in 125 balls.
The 24-year-old Samson eventually remained unbeaten on 212 off 129 balls (21 fours & 10 sixes) and became the highest scorer in domestic List A games in India.
In the meantime, Sachin Baby also struck a fine hundred (127 off 135 balls) as Kerala posted a mammoth 377/3 in their stipulated 50 overs.
Brief Scores:
Kerala – 377/3 in 50 overs (Sanju Samson 212*; Sachin Baby 127) against Goa (Lakshay Garg 1-73)