Hooda, Samson achieve India's highest-ever partnership for any wicket in T20Is
Deepak Hooda, whose unbeaten knock of 47, has helped India win the series opener, looked in sublime form in the 2nd T20I as well as he ripped apart the inexperienced bowling lineup of Ireland and smashed a terrific century at Malahide in Dublin.
The wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson, who replaced an injured Ruturaj Gaikwad and is playing his first game of the tour, teamed up well with Hooda in the middle and went on to etch their names in the history books by achieving a unique milestone.
It was an exhibition of aggressive, fearless and fantastic batting display as the duo took the bowlers in Green to cleaners and stitched the highest partnership for any wicket for India in the shortest format of the game.
Sanju Samson, who smashed 77 runs off just 42 deliveries stitched a 176-run stand – the highest among Indians in T20Is for any wicket with centurion Deepak Hooda (104 off 57).
The duo went on to break the record of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul (165) for the highest T20I partnership for any wicket for the Men in Blue in the shortest format during the stand.
Highest partnership for any wicket for India in T20Is:
176* Samson - Hooda for 2nd wicket vs Ireland, Dublin 2022
165 Rohit - KL Rahul for 1st wicket vs SL, Indore 2017
160 Rohit - Shikhar for 1st wicket vs Ireland, Dublin 2018
158 Rohit - Shikhar for 1st wicket vs New Zealand, Delhi 2017
Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson also added another feather to their cap as they leapfrogged Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan's unbeaten 167-run stand against South Africa at Cape Town in 2020 to record the highest-ever partnership by any pair for the second wicket in all T20Is.
Earlier, India, after winning the toss and opting to bat first went on to post the mammoth total of 225 for the loss of 7 wickets, despite three of their batters scoring a duck. Ireland, in reply, is batting at 79-2 at the time of writing and is looking in a strong position in the contest.
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