HYDERABAD, India: Sanju Samson smacked his first Twenty20 century off 40 balls as India beat Bangladesh in the third and final match by 133 runs to sweep the series 3-0 on Saturday.

Samson was out for 111 off 47 balls, including eight sixes and 11 fours.

He had help in Hyderabad from skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who hit a 35-ball 75. Hardik Pandya smacked 47 off only 18 as India finished at 297-6, the second highest total in T20 internationals and exceeded only by Nepal’s 314-3 against Mongolia in the 2023 Asia Cup.

India hit the most runs in boundaries in a T20I game. That included 22 sixes, their highest total in a T20 game, and 25 fours.

In reply, Bangladesh was restricted to 164-7. Towhid Hridoy was 63 not out off 42 deliveries, and Litton Das hit a 25-ball 42. Wrist spinner Ravi Bishnoi took 3-30 in four overs.

Opting to bat first, India lost opener Abhishek Sharma (4) early once again. It didn’t deter Samson though, who got going for once.

Samson raced to 50 off 22 balls, hitting two sixes and eight fours. His next 50 came off 18 deliveries — including another six sixes and three fours — in the second quickest T20 hundred by an India batter after Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball ton against Sri Lanka in 2017.

Samson put on 173 runs in 11 1/2 overs for the second wicket with Yadav. It was India’s third highest partnership for any wicket in T20s.

“The team management has backed me. I could have done much better (in previous matches), and it can get frustrating,” Samson said. “When you are playing for the country, it comes with a lot of pressure. But with experience, I learnt how to deal with pressure.”

The Tigers’ brief respite came from a floodlight failure in the ninth over, but it wasn’t enough. On resumption, player-of-the-match Samson smacked five sixes — 30 runs – off the next over bowled by wrist spinner Rishad Hossain.

Samson was finally caught in the 14th over, while Yadav had reached 50 off 23 balls. Overall, the India captain hit eight fours and five sixes, before falling in the next over.

India was then at 206-3 in 14.3 overs and it accelerated further thanks to a rapid 70-stand between Riyan Parag and Pandya.

Parag scored 34 off 13 but it was in-form Pandya who stole the show hitting four sixes and four fours.

In reply, Bangladesh was down to 59-3 in 5.2 overs. The top three didn’t contribute much, while Das propelled the innings. He hit eight fours.

Bishnoi became the second quickest Indian bowler to 50 T20I wickets, when Najmul Hossain Shanto (14) was caught behind. He also had Das out caught in the 12th over.

Das and Hridoy added 53 off 38 balls for the fourth wicket.

India had already sealed the series win with an 86-run victory in the second T20 on Wednesday. India won the first T20 in Gwalior by seven wickets. India swept the two-match Test series against Bangladesh 2-0.

ZAGREB: Croatia’s Andrej Kramaric condemned Scotland to their worst losing streak in five years as the striker sealed a 2-1 win in the Nations League on Saturday.
Steve Clarke’s side took a shock lead through Ryan Christie’s first half goal at the Stadion Maksimir.
But Igor Matanovic equalized before the interval and Kramaric bagged the winner midway through the second half.
Scotland have lost four successive games for the first time since 2019.
They arrived in Zagreb winless in their last eight competitive matches, the longest streak in their history, and that dismal run has now reached nine.
Scotland have mustered just one win in their last 15 matches, a 2-0 victory over minnows Gibraltar in June.
Having crashed out of Euro 2024 at the group stage, the Scots sit bottom of Nations League Group A1 after defeats against Poland, Portugal and Croatia.
In Clarke’s defense, he is dealing a debilitating injury list that denied him the services of James Forrest, Kieran Tierney, Jack Hendry, Tommy Conway, Aaron Hickey, Nathan Patterson and Lewis Ferguson.
Even so, another loss when Portugal visit Hampden Park on Tuesday would add to the pressure on the Scotland boss.
Lyndon Dykes’ audacious effort from the halfway line was a bold statement of intent from Scotland.
Christie fired just wide after Andrew Robertson’s cross wasn’t cleared, while Billy Gilmour tested Croatia keeper Dominik Livakovic with a 25-yard blast.
Craig Gordon, Scotland’s 41-year-old stand-in keeper, made a fine save to keep out Kramaric, with Borna Sosa heading just wide from the rebound.
Ben Doak, 18, was the youngest player to start a competitive match for Scotland since Willie Johnston in 1965.
And the Liverpool winger, currently on loan at second tier Middlesbrough, made his landmark occasion even more memorable with the cross that produced Scotland’s 32nd minute opener.
Josip Sutalo made a hash of clearing and Christie gleefully pounced to slot home from an acute angle.
Croatia were behind for just four minutes as Matanovic met Ivan Perisic’s clever cutback with a powerful strike that flashed past Gordon.
Matanovic nearly scored again immediately after the interval but this time Gordon was equal to his shot from the edge of the area.
Gordon made another good save to repel a curler from Luka Modric, who deftly nutmegged Scott McTominay before bending his shot narrowly wide in another threatening raid from the evergreen Real Madrid midfielder.
Croatia were well on top and Kramaric completed their comeback in the 70th minute.
Sosa met Perisic’s cross with a stinging strike that was parried by Gordon, with Kramaric perfectly placed to head in the rebound.
In a dramatic finale, Che Adams thought he had salvaged a stoppage-time equalizer but VAR disallowed his effort for offside.