Sanju Samson was awarded the Player of the Match for his 97*.
Team India pacer Jasprit Bumrah talked about the key moments in India’s win over the West Indies in their recent Super 8s match of the T20 World Cup 2026. He pointed out that Shivam Dube smacking Shamar Joseph for two boundaries in the penultimate over was a crucial point as India chased down the 196-run target.
While Sanju Samson walked away with all the applause for his brilliant 97* knock, Bumrah pointed out how Dube's hitting those two fours took all the pressure off Samson in the tight chase.
Dube came to the plate late in the innings after Hardik Pandya was dismissed, with India needing 17 runs from 10 deliveries. He relieved the pressure, hitting a boundary with his first ball, and added another four with the penultimate delivery of the 19th over.
These two fours brought the equation down to 7 runs in the last over, and Sanju Samson hit a six and a four to end the game and win India the match by 5 wickets. Bumrah pointed out that while Dube’s cameo was brief and might go unnoticed, its impact was crucial.
“You know, obviously, the two fours that Dube hit are in the cricketing books and stats; nobody will really appreciate that, but the people who really know cricket know the two fours really did not set the pressure on us because sometimes 8-9 runs in the last over can get tricky sometimes," Bumrah said while speaking to ICC.
Bumrah was particularly effective with the ball, ending with 2/36 from four overs. He dismissed Shimron Hetmyer and Roston Chase in the same over, derailing the West Indies innings.
“The wicket was holding up, so we wanted to use our variation. We didn’t want to bowl too fast because that was an easy option. Hit our back of length, use our change of pace, so we wanted to make run scoring as difficult as possible, and today was a good day where I got some wickets," Bumrah said.
Jasprit Bumrah was also all praise for Sanju Samson, who smacked 97* with 12 fours and 4 sixes to his name and batted all the way from start to finish for India.
"Unreal. I'm really happy for him because, you know, in the recent last month or so, he's had a little bit of an up-and-down journey. To keep a good mindset, sometimes being in and out can be difficult for you as a cricketer. You want stability; you can sometimes question yourself, but come this day with the conviction that he had. He was absolutely clear. Really, really happy for him, top knock. Hopefully, he continues to do this and goes from strength to strength," Jasprit Bumrah said.
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