Rilee Rossouw hit his maiden century in T20Is, to lift South Africa to their highest-ever total against India in the 3rd T20I at the Holkar Stadium. The Proteas have set a target of 228 runs for the hosts to chase in 20 overs. This century would be extra special for Rossouw as he had failed to score a single run in this series when he came out to bat today. In spite of that, he put all of those terrible moments to bed with a fantastic knock that featured 7 fours and 8 sixes. 

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To put his power-hitting in context, South Africa hit 16 sixes off the hosts bowling attack, the third highest ever hit against them. Half of them were hit by the 32-year-old. However, luck also favoured him as India’s shoddy fielding and dropped catches gave the batter multiple freebies. 

Earlier in the match, skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bowl first. Quinton De Kock would have been a goner off the first ball. He played the ball to mid-off and ran off for a single while being much outside the crease, but Shreyas Iyer missed a direct hit.

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Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma also hit his first runs of the series in the match, however his stay was soon ended by Umesh Yadav. It was then Rilee Rossouw show from the beginning as he got off the mark in the match, and in the series, with two consecutive boundaries off Yadav in the same over. In the next two overs, Rossouw hit one more sixe, to help South Africa finish the powerplay strongly at 48/1.

The very small boundaries at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore and India’s poor fielding, also helped South African batters. Mohammad Siraj dropped Rossouw on 24 off Ravichandran Ashwin. Not only, did India lost the chance, but also gifted him six additional runs. He then hit and a six and a four, to help reach South Africa to 132/2. He then reached his half century off just 27 balls, hitting a six off Axar Patel. 

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Rossouw, after reaching his half century, pressed the accelerator.  He would have been out hitwicket off Siraj, had he not bowled a no ball the previous delivery. He then hit three more sixes and as many fours to reach his maiden ton in 21 more balls. Miller hit three sixes of Deepak Chahar, to help the Proteas reach 227/3, their highest against India.