Sanju Samson's defining knock powers India to T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal

A dramatic final Super Eights game concluded thrillingly as Sanju Samson played the knock of a lifetime to propel India to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026. A battle that oscillated from one end to the other, featuring countless mind-boggling twists, was eventually settled by a batting masterclass.

Winning the toss at Eden Gardens, India opted to bowl first. They went in with an unchanged XI from their win against Zimbabwe. The Islanders got off to a phenomenal start, courtesy of Shai Hope (32) and Roston Chase (40). The duo put together 68 runs for the opening stand before Varun Chakravarthy drew first blood. Chakravarthy struck to dismiss Hope, opening up India’s window of opportunity.

Another brief but breezy partnership was forged between Chase and an incoming Shimron Hetmyer. Hetmyer smashed 27 off 12 and looked in fine control until Jasprit Bumrah stepped up to deal a double whammy. He claimed Hetmyer and Chase in the same over, while Hardik Pandya removed Sherfane Rutherford (14) early to set up the Indian dominance.

However, the hosts lost control as Rovman Powell (34*) and Jason Holder (37*) allowed West Indies to go big in the final overs. The duo put together 76 runs from just 35 balls, propelling the Caribbean to 195/4 at the end of 20 overs. Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowling lot with figures of 2/36.

The equation for India was simple. They needed a solid start to remain in the chase with a daunting number staring back at them from the board. Sanju Samson knuckled down to business from the word go. Abhishek Sharma (10) had a watchful start but couldn’t sustain himself. Akeal Hossein got the better of Sharma, exposing India’s first crack in the armour.

Despite the fall of Sharma, Samson had no intentions of relenting which kept India on track. Ishan Kishan (10) couldn’t come up with something relevant either. Indian captain, Suryakumar Yadav stepped into the center and ensured that he provided the anchor that Samson’s belligerence needed at the other end.

Sanju Samson regulated the innings to perfection, playing with the finesse of a surgeon. Samson brought up his half-century in the tenth over, slapping Gudakesh Motie through point. Shamar Joseph stepped up shortly to claim the scalp of the Indian skipper but Tilak Varma came in and effaced any fears of a crackdown on India’s scoring rate.

Varma started attacking the bowlers too, allowing Samson a bit of breathing space. Varma rocked 27 off 15, clobbering four fours and a six. A 42-run partnership between Varma and Samson saw India setting themselves up for a grandstand finish. Trying to attack Jason Holder, Varma holed out to Shimron Hetmyer who grabbed an absolute stunner at mid-off. Samson continued to motor along, keeping India alive and slightly ahead of the curve at all times.

Hardik Pandya’s cameo of 17 allowed Samson to settle down further and ready himself for the conclusion to the chase that lurked ahead of him. Eventually, breaking down all the shackles, Samson ensured that he is delivering the coup de grace in style. He struck Romario Shepherd for a six in the first ball of the 20th over, levelling the affair while hammering an exquisite drive down the ground to seize the bragging rights of the game.

Samson stayed unbeaten on 97 from just 50 balls, catapulting India to a remarkable five-wicket win. With this victory, they sealed their semi-final spot and will be playing England in Mumbai on the 5th of February. Sanju Samson secured the Player of the Match award for his defining knock with the bat.