Kolkata, Mar 1 (UNI) Sanju Samson’s explosive 97 in 50 balls propelled India into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals with a five-wicket win over the West Indies in the final Super 8 fixture at the iconic Eden Gardens here on Sunday.
Samson led the chase as India reached 199/5 in 19.2 overs. It was the highest score by an Indian in a run-chase at the T20 World Cup.
The wicketkeeper-batter combined fearless strokeplay with audacious improvisation, including reverse sweeps and precision lofted drives, to dominate the West Indies attack and keep the scoreboard moving at a rapid pace.
Samson’s innings was punctuated by twelve boundaries and four sixes. His partnerships with Tilak Varma (27) and captain Suryakumar Yadav (18) stabilised the innings after the early fall of wickets.
Chasing a sizeable total, India were quick off the blocks. Samson signalled his intent in the third over, as he hit a four and two sixes in the space of four balls against Akeal Hosein, onway to picking up 17 runs in the over. But Hosein struck in the same over with the wicket of Abhishek Sharma, who mistimed a pull and Shimron Hetmyer raced from deep square leg to complete the catch.
Ishan Kishan also fell similarly to Jason Holder. At the end of the powerplay, India were 53/2.
Brought back into the playing XI in the previous game, Samson brought up his first T20 World Cup half-century in style, punching a ball through point. He was involved in a 58-run stand with Suryakumar Yadav and 42-run partnership with Tilak Varma to take India to 146/4 in 15 overs.
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Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah picked up two crucial wickets in the space of three balls, as India restricted West Indies to 195 for four.
Put into bat, the West Indies started with a newly-minted opening partnership of Shai Hope and Roston Chase, who were uncharacteristically watchful in the beginning and finished the powerplay at 45/0.
It was Chase’s first T20I as an opener, and after a cautious beginning, he got going with two sweetly-timed boundaries against Arshdeep Singh and then scooped Jasprit Bumrah for a four.
The pressure of the occasion, however, seemed to get to Abhishek Sharma, who dropped a simple catch at cover with Chase on 15.
Varun Chakaravarthy gave India the breakthrough as he knocked back Shai Hope’s (32) stumps in the ninth over. But it was Jasprit Bumrah’s double strike in the 12th over, which saw the dismissal of set batters Shimron Hetmyer (27) and Roston Chase (40), that could potentially prove to be crucial in deciding the outcome of the match.
Hetmyer was starting to flex his muscle, and had hit two sixes and a four, but ended up nicking a ball angling away from him to the wicketkeeper. Two balls later, Bumrah had Chase lob the ball to cover.
After West Indies slipped from 102/2 to 119/4, Jason Holder and Rovman Powell took the attack to India. The latter also became the first West Indies batsman to hit 150 sixes in T20Is, when he let go another big hit to the fence.
Powell and Holder put on 76 runs for the fifth wicket, off just 35 balls, to take West Indies to a challenging score. While Powell finished with 34 off 19 balls, with the help of three fours and two sixes, Holder struck two fours and three sixes for a 22-ball 37
The defending champions will now take on England in a mouth-wateringlast four clash, in a repeat of the 2024 semi-final. The two teams will square off in the second semi-final on March 5 in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Meanwhile, South Africa will be up against New Zealand in the first semi-final on March 4 at the Eden Gardens here.
The winners of the two contests will face off in the summit clash on March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
