Sanju Samson Masterclass Powers India to Semifinal Spot

A brilliant unbeaten 97 off 50 balls by Sanju Samson powered India to a thrilling five-wicket victory over West Indies in a must-win Super Eight clash at Eden Gardens on Sunday. The win ensured India’s place in the semifinals against England .

Batting first after captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to field, West Indies posted a competitive 195/4 in 20 overs . The Caribbean side was anchored by a strong 76-run partnership between Jason Holder and Rovman Powell for the fifth wicket. Powell scored 34 off 19 balls , hitting three fours and two sixes, while Holder remained unbeaten on 37 off 22 balls , smashing two fours and three sixes.

West Indies started steadily with openers Shai Hope and Roston Chase building a solid foundation. Chase, playing as an opener, displayed composure and power before Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy applied pressure in the middle overs. Bumrah delivered a crucial breakthrough, dismissing both Shimron Hetmyer (27 off 12) and Roston Chase (40 off 25) in quick succession. His spell of 2/36 shifted momentum toward India.

Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, West Indies crossed the 100-run mark comfortably and accelerated in the death overs. Powell became the first West Indian to reach 150 sixes in T20Is , underlining his aggressive intent. However, Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh tightened their lines in the final overs, restricting the total.

Chasing 196 runs for victory , India faced early setbacks as Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan were dismissed cheaply, leaving the team at 41/2 inside the powerplay . Samson then took control of the innings with an exceptional display of timing and power. He struck boundaries consistently and reached his fifty in 26 balls , featuring six fours and three sixes.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav contributed 18 before falling, but Samson remained unfazed. He built a valuable 42-run partnership with Tilak Varma , who scored a quick 27 off 15 balls with four boundaries and a six. Later, Hardik Pandya added useful runs before being dismissed for 17.

As the target narrowed, Samson stayed unbeaten and sealed the chase in style. He smashed a six over deep mid-wicket followed by a boundary, finishing at 97 as India reached 199/5 in 19.2 overs *. Shivam Dube remained unbeaten alongside him.

With this victory, India secured a place in the T20 World Cup semifinals , where they will face England on March 5 in Mumbai. The commanding performance highlighted Samson’s match-winning brilliance and India’s resilience under pressure.