Sanju Samson’s Explosive Knock Powers India to T20 World Cup Semi-Finals with Record Chase
Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 97 guided India to a historic 196-run chase against West Indies in the ICC T20 World Cup at Eden Gardens, securing a semi-final clash with England.
Prasanth Subramani
India stormed into the semi-finals of the ICC T20 World Cup after defeating West Indies in a thrilling encounter at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 1.
In the 52nd match of the tournament, India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bowl first. Batting first, West Indies posted a competitive total of 195 for 4 in their allotted 20 overs.
Roston Chase led the charge with 40 runs off 25 balls, including five boundaries and a six. Jason Holder contributed 37 off 22 balls (2 fours, 3 sixes), while Rovman Powell smashed 34 off 19 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes). Captain Shai Hope scored 32 runs, Shimron Hetmyer added 27, and Sherfane Rutherford chipped in with 14 runs.
For India, Jasprit Bumrah picked up two wickets, while Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy claimed one wicket each.
Sanju Samson’s Match-Winning Masterclass
Chasing a challenging target of 196 runs, Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson started cautiously before accelerating the scoring.
Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan scored 10 runs each, while captain Suryakumar Yadav managed 18. Tilak Varma added 27, and Hardik Pandya scored 17 before returning to the pavilion.
With 7 runs required in the final over, Sanju Samson, who had played aggressively from the start, sealed the victory in style by smashing a boundary and a six. He remained unbeaten on a sensational 97 off 50 balls, which included 12 fours and 4 sixes.
India successfully chased down the target in 19.2 overs, scoring 199 for 5. For West Indies, Jason Holder and Samar Joseph picked up two wickets each. Sanju Samson was named Player of the Match for his brilliant performance.
This victory also marked a historic milestone, as India registered their highest successful chase above 170 runs in T20 World Cup history.
India will now face England in the second semi-final scheduled to be held in Mumbai on March 5.
Source: Dinamani
