Mumbai: Sanju Samson scored an unbeaten 97 off just 50 balls and took India through to an unbelievable five-wicket victory over the West Indies in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eights match at Eden Gardens, a high-stress, high-stakes ‘do or die’ match.
With this, India, in a chase of 196, made 199/5 in just 19.2 overs. This victory secured India’s spot to face England in the semi-finals.
The West Indies made 195/4 in 20 overs, thanks to Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who put them to bat first. Roston Chase made 40, and Jason Holder was unbeaten on 37. Jasprit Bumrah took 2 wickets.
The Indian chase was looking risky with quick wickets, and none of the Indian batters were able to cross the 30-run mark. However, Samson unleashed his immense strength and power, scoring 12 boundaries and 4 sixes. With this, Samson made the biggest chase in T20 World Cup history in India’s account and put all his doubters to silence after the world saw his struggles with form.
The most emotional moment came during the post-match presentation. Samson won the Player of the Match award and called his wife, Charulatha Remesh, during the ceremony. He has known her since childhood, and the moment was special for both of them. The scene became a sensation and went viral.
Samson said, ‘This is one of the greatest days of my life.’ He made a brilliant chase, crediting his learning from the masters, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
With Samson’s redemption arc, India heads to the semi-final in Mumbai.