Sanju Samson stayed till the end to take India over the finishing line.
Sanju Samson stole the show in India’s five-wicket victory over the West Indies in a must-win Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Sunday (March 1).
The wicketkeeper-batter slammed 97 not out off 50 balls with 12 fours and 4 sixes to help India chase down a stiff target of 196 runs with four deliveries to spare. As a result, the Men in Blue qualified for the semifinals.
After the game, former India opener Kris Srikkanth showered rich praise on Samson, saying that latter’s heroics in Kolkata is on par with the knock played by Virat Kohli against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 at MCG.
"Sanju — one of the greatest chases I’ve ever seen. I’m telling you. When Virat Kohli played that knock against Pakistan in Melbourne, I was there at the ground. This felt like that level. I kept saying, 'God is designing everything for you.' Look at the last two matches — 20 off 7 balls, big moments — everything felt like it was building up for him. It really felt like God was behind him," said Srikkanth while speaking on his YouTube channel.
For Srikkanth, the standout feature of Samson’s knock was that it was a flawless one with no reckless shot.
"Sanju had that extra second to play his shots. Not one careless shot. Not once did he look like getting out. Back-foot straight drives past the fast bowlers, tennis-style punches off the back foot — what shots! Different level batting. Complete innings," the former BCCI chief selector added.
While Srikkanth was critical of the Caribbean team’s bowling, he claimed that batting from Samson was unlike anything he had seen in his life.
"He had so much time to play his shots. That’s what stood out. Against fast bowlers, playing straight off the back foot. Front foot, back foot — it didn’t matter. Even in the previous match, he hit a six off the back foot. That shot is masterful. Brilliant."
"I don’t know how he plays those shots. What batting, Chetta! Outstanding batting. I have never seen batting like this. Incredible," Srikkanth remarked.
India will now face England in the second semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on March 5.