India opener Sanju Samson scored a sparkling century as the tourists beat South Africa by 61 runs in the first match of a four-game Twenty20 series at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday.

South Africa asked India to bat and the visitors posted 202 for eight in their 20 overs, before restricting their hosts to 141 all out in 17.5 overs for a comprehensive victory.

India's total was boosted by a brilliant 107 from 50 balls by Samson but the innings did stall towards the end.

Samson smashed 10 sixes and seven fours as he tore into the bowling at the small Kingsmead ground. He rattled along at a strike rate of 214, providing more than half his team's total. He became the first Indian batter and the fourth overall - after Gustav McKeon (France), Rilee Rossouw (South Africa), and Phil Salt (England) - to smash back-to-back centuries in the format after he notched up a 40-ball ton against Bangladesh in a three-match series last month. 

At 167-2 in the 15th over, India looked on course for a score well in excess of 200, but managed only another 35 runs in 32 balls for the loss of six wickets after Tilak Varma was dismissed for 33.

Seamers Marco Jansen (1-24 in four overs) and Gerald Coetzee (3-37) were the pick of the home attack.

India's legbreak bowlers stifled the South African reply as their innings never managed to gain momentum.

Varun Chakravarthy took 3-25 as he picked up the key wickets of Heinrich Klaasen (25) and David Miller (18), while Ravi Bishnoi recorded figures of 3-28.

The second match of the series will be played in Gqeberha on Sunday.