Batting blitz by Varma and Samson complete India's T20 series win in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Unbeaten centuries by Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson blitzed India to a 283-1 total against South Africa and a massive Twenty20 win on Friday.

The pressure in the chase was too much for South Africa, which was all out for 148 with 10 balls left.

Six bowlers took wickets, led by medium-pacer Arshdeep Singh's 3-20 in 15 deliveries, as India won by 135 runs and completed a 3-1 series win.

But Varma and Samson stole the show at Wanderers.

Varma top-scored with 120 not out off 47 balls. That made him only the second India batter after Samson to score back-to-back T20 centuries, and the fifth batter ever.

Samson scored 109 not out off 56 balls, his second century of the series and third in five T20 innings. He became the first batter to score three T20 centuries in a calendar year, and the second batter to notch two hundreds in the same bilateral tournament.

Together, they blasted 210 runs off 86 balls for the second wicket, hitting 19 sixes and 15 boundaries.

Theirs was the highest T20 partnership for India for any wicket. It was also the highest T20 partnership against South Africa, and the highest for the second wicket or lower in all T20s.

After India chose to bat first, Samson and Abhishek Sharma opened with 73 off 35 balls, setting the stage.

Sharma was dropped before he scored and scored 36 off 18 balls, including four sixes, before falling to Lutho Sipamla as the lone wicket of the innings.

Samson reached 50 off 28 balls with five fours and three sixes. He accelerated to his hundred off 51 balls — the second 50 coming off 23 balls with another five sixes and three fours.

Only Rohit Sharma (five) and Suryakumar Yadav (four) have more T20 hundreds for India.

Varma wasn’t shaded. He raced to 50 off 22 balls with five sixes and four fours, and the next 50 came off 19 balls with four more sixes.

The duo racked up 100 runs off 40 balls, and doubled it in another 42 deliveries.

It was the third time two batters scored individual hundreds in the same T20 innings — and the first instance between full member sides.

It was also the second highest T20 total between full member sides — India scored the highest, 297-6, against Bangladesh in Hyderabad last month, when Samson posted his first of three centuries.

Singh quickly gave South Africa no hope in the chase.

He bowled Reeza Hendricks for a two-ball duck, and skipper Aiden Markram was out caught for 8.

Hardik Pandya sent back Ryan Rickelton for 1, and South Africa was down to 10-4 in three overs when Singh dismissed Heinrich Klaasen lbw for a golden duck.

Tristan Stubbs and David Miller (36) resisted with an 86-run partnership off 54 balls, but it was never going to be enough. Stubbs top-scored with 43 off 29 balls.

Marco Jansen provided a late flourish with 29 not out off 12 balls.

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy picked 2-42 to finish with 12 wickets in the four-match series.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

India's Arshdeep Singh reacts after bowling a delivery during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

India's Sanju Samson, left, celebrates with batting partner Tilak Varma after scoring a century during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

India's Sanju Samson plays a shot during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

India's Sanju Samson celebrates after scoring a century during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

India's Tilak Varma watches the ball after playing a shot during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

India's Tilak Varma celebrates after scoring a century during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

India's Tilak Varma celebrates after scoring a century during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A battery manufacturer has selected Kentucky for a nearly $712 million project to produce industrial-sized batteries used to store and distribute energy, a process seen as increasingly important to help secure a reliable electric grid for the country, officials said Friday.

The Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing plant will employ 1,572 workers once the project reaches full capacity, deepening Kentucky's ties to emerging battery technologies. Companies wanting to make batteries to power vehicles have announced projects expected to total nearly $12 billion in new investments and create more than 10,280 fulltime jobs in Kentucky.

“With this investment, we’re putting our stamp on working to become just the battery capital of the United States,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in announcing the new project to be located in Shelbyville.

Production at the Shelbyville battery plant is expected to begin in late 2025.

The plant, a part of Canadian Solar Inc., will produce batteries used by utilities and other customers to store energy at large scale. The batteries are about 20 feet long, 8 feet wide and nearly 9 feet tall, the company said. They can be paired with solar, wind or other forms of electricity generation and are seen as playing a crucial role for both a green energy future and a secure power grid as demand for electricity continues to grow in the U.S.

The batteries can keep a steady flow of power when sources like wind and solar are not producing. For example, when people are sleeping and thus using less electricity, the energy produced from wind blowing through the night can be stored in batteries — and used when demand is high during the day.

“Energy storage is a crucial part of the new and evolving electricity grid," said Shawn Qu, chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar. "Battery cells are the heart of a utility-scale energy storage system. This project will put Kentucky at the center of the effort to build a robust and secure electricity grid for this country.”

Canadian Solar has a global presence in the design and production of battery energy storage systems for utility-scale applications. Kentucky's ties to the company will only strengthen the Bluegrass State's role in the energy sector, Beshear said.

For centuries, Kentucky coal helped power the nation. Now, the Shelbyville plant will produce batteries used across the country to help ensure a reliable flow of electricity for consumers, Beshear said.

“This is energy security for the United States," the governor said. "It’s in our national security. And this company choosing to do it in Kentucky means we’re going to be a part of providing that security for the entire country’s infrastructure and in the grid.”

The battery factory will be the largest economic development project in Shelby County's history and ranks as the third-largest jobs project announced during Beshear's nearly five-year tenure as governor.

Shelbyville Mayor Troy Ethington called the project a milestone for his community, located just east Louisville. It will become Shelby County's largest employer, creating new opportunities for residents, he said. The company said it is committed to hiring locally to fill the jobs. The Shelbyville facility also will include a research and development lab to help advance battery technology, the company said.

“This investment ensures more Kentucky families will thrive, and that the commonwealth’s incredible economic momentum continues,” Beshear said.

State officials offered a package of performance-based tax incentives for the battery project, tied to the company's investment, job creation and employee wages, the state said.

CORRECTS IDENTIFICATION TO ANDY BESHEAR FROM DAN ISON - Colin Parkin, left, President of e-Storage, speaks with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear following the announcement of a $712 million project in Shelbyville, Ky., creating 1,572 skilled, high-tech jobs at the Governor’s Mansion in Frankfort, Ky., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Colin Parkin, President of e-Storage talks about the announcement by Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing of a $712 million battery manufacturing project in Shelbyville, Ky., creating 1,572 skilled, high-tech jobs at the Governor's Mansion in Frankfort, Ky., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, right, listens, as Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar speaks discusses the announcement by Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing of a $712 million battery manufacturing project in Shelbyville, Ky., creating 1,572 skilled, high-tech jobs at the Governor's Mansion in Frankfort, Ky., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar speaks during an announcement by Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing of a $712 million battery manufacturing project in Shelbyville, Ky., creating 1,572 skilled, high-tech jobs at the Governor's Mansion in Frankfort, Ky., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar speaks during an announcement by Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing of a $712 million battery manufacturing project in Shelbyville, Ky., creating 1,572 skilled, high-tech jobs at the Governor's Mansion in Frankfort, Ky., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, joined by local and executives with Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing a $712 million battery manufacturing project in Shelbyville, Ky., creating 1,572 skilled, high-tech jobs at the Governor's Mansion in Frankfort, Ky., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)