Ice-cool Sanju Samson fires India into T20 World Cup semis

Kolkata, 2 March — Sanju Samson chose the grandest stage of India’s campaign to author the innings of his life, an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls that propelled the hosts past West Indies’ imposing 195 for four and into the T20 World Cup semi-finals with four deliveries to spare. The right-hander’s ice-cool finishing—sealed with a scorching boundary through extra-cover—sent Eden Gardens into delirium and re-positioned India as genuine title contenders.

The chase, set up by a late-order West Indian blitz that yielded 70 runs in the last five overs, began ominously for India. Early wickets against the new ball exposed the middle order, but Samson, promoted only this week to combat the off-spin threat that had undermined India in Ahmedabad, never flinched. Driving with pristine timing and cutting ruthlessly, he located the boundary 12 times and cleared it on four occasions, all while the asking rate hovered above ten an over.

Spin arrived in the powerplay, yet the restored left-right combination at the top—Samson and Ishan Kishan—nullified it. Even after Kishan and Abhishek Sharma departed, Samson’s tempo remained unchanged. A 26-ball 42-run stand with Tilak Varma arrested the slide, and when Hardik Pandya walked in at 144 for five, India needed 55 from 32. The pair milked 51 in 28 balls, Samson doing the heavy lifting and Pandya providing the final surge.

Earlier, India’s fielding had threatened to derail the night. Three misfield fours, two spilled catches and a missed run-out allowed West Indies to gallop past 190 despite Jasprit Bumrah’s double-wicket 12th over that removed Shimron Hetmyer and Roston Chase in the space of four balls. From 102 for one, the visitors slipped to 103 for three, but Jason Holder and Rovman Powell counter-punched with a calculated 70-run assault in the last 30 deliveries, taking 24 off Arshdeep Singh’s 16th over alone.

Yet those blemishes were rendered footnotes by Samson’s masterpiece. The dew-soaked surface offered no demons, yet the occasion—virtual quarter-final, expectant crowd, steep target—demanded composure of the rarest kind. The 29-year-old delivered it in abundance, raising his bat to every corner of the ground before sinking to his knees as Vande Mataram boomed across the floodlights. India will now face England at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on 5 March for a place in the final.

Brief Scores: West Indies 195/4 in 20 overs (Roston Chase 40, Jason Holder 37, Rovman Powell 34; Jasprit Bumrah 2-36) India 199/5 in 19.2 overs (Sanju Samson 97*; Jason Holder 2-38)