Sanju Samson's Selfless Block to Let Yashasvi Finish 100 is Nod to Dhoni, Virat Iconic Moment

In a thrilling match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajasthan Royals (RR) delivered an unforgettable night for their devoted fans. RR, determined to break their streak of poor performances and enhance their prospects of advancing to the next stage, showcased a dominant display. Their victory was spearheaded by the remarkable innings of young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who blazed his way to an unbeaten 98 off just 47 balls, guiding RR to an impressive triumph.

Jaiswal’s opening salvo was nothing short of spectacular, as he smacked two sixes off the first two balls of the innings, eventually taking an incredible 26 runs off the first over. And the excitement didn’t stop there, as Jaiswal went on to break the record for the fastest-ever IPL fifty, reaching the milestone in just 13 balls!

However, Jos Buttler failed to make a mark and fell for a duck, but the RR captain, Sanju Samson, refused to be outdone. Eventually, he found his rhythm and began hitting the ball with the same freedom as Jaiswal. The competition heated up as the focus shifted to whether Jaiswal could reach a century before the end of the chase.

The tension mounted to a fever pitch as Jaiswal reached 94 and with just three runs needed to clinch the victory, and one ball remaining in the 13th over. At that point, Samson was also going strong at 48 off 28 balls. The bowler, Suyash, sent the ball wide down the leg side, but Samson defied the odds by stretching his front leg all the way to block the ball. In an epic moment of sportsmanship, Samson then encouraged Jaiswal to hit a six and end the match himself.

Fans on social media were quick to draw comparisons between Samson’s playful gesture and a similar one made by MS Dhoni in the 2014 T20 World Cup semi-final. Back then, India was chasing a target of 173, with Virat Kohli leading the way with an outstanding performance. As the scores became level in the 19th over, Dhoni came to the crease for the last ball and blocked the shot before asking Kohli to finish the job. Kohli did just that, hitting a four off the first ball of the next over and remaining unbeaten on 72 off 44.

Likewise, Jaiswal didn’t disappoint and hit a four off the first ball of the next over, although it wasn’t enough to bring up his second century of the season. Still, he celebrated in style, removing his helmet, pointing to his jersey, and raising his bat in the air, much to the delight of the crowd.

What a moment to behold, what a memory to savor!