WATCH | Sanju Samson hits hard, umpire injured:Hardik Pandya records second fastest half-century hits cameraman; Tilak reaches fifty in style

India sealed the T20I series against South Africa with a 30-run win in the fifth and final match at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, clinching the five-match series 3-1. Batting first, the Men in Blue piled up a huge 231 on the board, powered by aggressive middle-order batting after a solid start in the powerplay. India raced to 67/1 in the powerplay, with Abhishek Sharma smashing a quick 34 off 21 balls. Sanju Samson added a brisk 37, while Suryakumar Yadav struggled again, departing for just five. The innings was lifted by Hardik Pandya’s explosive 16-ball fifty and Tilak Varma’s composed 30-ball half-century. Hardik became the second-fastest Indian to score a T20I fifty and also completed 2000 T20I runs. Tilak later fell for 73, while Jitesh Sharma’s cameo ensured a strong finish. Chasing 232, South Africa started fast but lost momentum once Varun Chakravarthy broke the opening stand. After reaching 118 in 10 overs, the visitors lost wickets in quick succession to Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Varun. Varun finished with four wickets, while Bumrah was exceptional, conceding just 17 runs in his four overs and dismissing Quinton de Kock. South Africa was eventually restricted, as India closed out a comfortable 30-run victory. IND vs SA, 5th T2OI, top moments Surya clicks a selfie with the World Cup trophy During the toss, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav was seen taking a selfie with the T20 World Cup trophy, with South Africa captain Aiden Markram standing alongside him. The T20 World Cup is set to begin on February 7, and India will enter the tournament as defending champions after beating South Africa in the 2024 final. Also read: Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill 5/10, Tilak Varma gets 9.5/10: Report card of Indian players after 3-1 T20I series win over South Africa Sanju Samson smashes hard, Umpire hit by the ball An unusual moment unfolded in the ninth over when Sanju Samson’s shot off Donovan Ferreira struck field umpire Rohan Pandit on the leg. Pandit went down immediately, forcing a brief halt in play, before medical staff rushed in to provide prompt treatment. Hardik Pandya’s six strikes the cameraman In the 13th over, Hardik Pandya launched Corbin Bosch for a massive six straight over mid-off. The powerful hit ended up striking a cameraman on his left hand beyond the boundary. Medical personnel quickly attended to him and applied an ice pack. Tilak Varma reaches half-century in style Tilak Varma brought up his half-century in the 15th over with a classy boundary. He cut Lungi Ngidi’s short-of-length delivery past deep backward point to register his sixth T20I fifty. Hardik’s flying kiss celebration After clearing the ropes for a six, Hardik Pandya celebrated by blowing a flying kiss towards his girlfriend, Mahika Sharma, who was present in the stands. Moments later, he reached his landmark fifty. Half-century sealed with a six for Hardik Pandya Hardik emphatically completed his half-century in the 17th over, smashing Corbin Bosch for a six. The knock came off just 16 balls, making it the second-fastest T20I fifty by an Indian batter. Also read: India win 5th T20I by 30 runs, clinch series 3-1: South Africa succumb to Varun Chakravarthy’s clinical 4-wicket haul, Hardik’s fiery 63(25) IND vs SA, 5th T20I, records Hardik Pandya registers second-fastest T20I fifty for India Hardik Pandya smashed the second-fastest half-century by an Indian in T20 Internationals, reaching the milestone in just 16 balls. Only Yuvraj Singh stands ahead of him, having scored a 12-ball fifty against England during the 2007 T20 World Cup, a match remembered for his six sixes off Stuart Broad. Sanju Samson joins elite list with 1000 T20I runs Sanju Samson completed 1,000 runs in T20 Internationals in just 679 balls. With this feat, he equalled Hardik Pandya as the fastest Indian to reach the landmark in terms of balls faced. Abhishek Sharma currently tops the list, achieving 1,000 T20I runs in only 528 balls. Also read: Rohit, Virat to play two matches in Vijay Hazare Trophy: Shardul to lead Mumbai, Rahane rested; Pant set to lead Delhi, tournament begins on 24 Dec Tilak VarmasSurpasses Rohit Sharma’s record Tilak Varma rewrote history against South Africa by breaking Rohit Sharma’s T20I record. He scored 496 runs in just 10 innings, moving to the top of the list. Rohit Sharma held the previous mark of 429 runs in 17 innings, while Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav also trail Tilak in this record.