Kolkata: Sanju Samson delivered a pressure-packed masterclass, smashing an unbeaten 97 to steer India to a thrilling five-wicket win over West Indies in their Super Eights virtual quarter-final at Eden Gardens on Sunday. The 196 chase marks the highest successful pursuit in T20Is at the venue, earning India a semi-final clash with England.
India stumbled early, losing openers Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan in the powerplay to slump to 53/2 after six overs. Samson, the wicketkeeper-batter, steadied the ship in this do-or-die game. He sized up the conditions, then unleashed calculated fury on loose balls, racing to a 27-ball fifty with elegant power.
Teaming with Suryakumar Yadav (18), Samson rebuilt aggressively. After Suryakumar fell, he linked with Tilak Varma (27 off 15), dismantling West Indies' spinners amid dew and slowing pitches to seize momentum.
Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph hit back, removing Tilak and Hardik Pandya, leaving 17 off two overs. Samson stayed ice-cool, with Shivam Dube chipping in boundaries. Needing seven in the last over, he flicked Romario Shepherd for six to tie scores, then sealed it with a lofted four over mid-on.
Sinking to his knees in joy, Samson etched history—his 97 off 50 balls is now India's highest in a winning T20 World Cup chase, topping Virat Kohli's mark. It showcased flawless pacing, pressure absorption, and lower-order guidance.
India's depth shone through, boosting confidence for the England semi-final.
Brief Scores: West Indies 195/4 in 20 ov (Roston Chase 40, Jason Holder 37*, Rovman Powell 34*; Jasprit Bumrah 2-36) lost to India 199/5 in 19.2 ov (Sanju Samson 97*, Tilak Varma 27; Jason Holder 2-38, Shamar Joseph 2-42) by five wickets.
(Inputs from IANS)