Defending champions Team India secured the last semifinal spot of the ongoing T20 World Cup after a thrilling five-wicket win over West Indies in the Super Eights on Sunday, with four balls in hand.
After West Indies lost the toss and posted a huge 195-4, opener Sanju Samson led India to 199-5 in 19.2 overs with a stunning unbeaten knock of 97 off 50 balls at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. India’s highest-ever successful run-chase at the T20 World Cup set up a semifinal match against England in Mumbai on Thursday as well.
Sanju Samson smashed a six and a four off the first two balls of the final over of India’s innings to seal the deal. After hitting the winning runs, he dropped to his knees, took off his helmet and looked towards the sky before offering a prayer as well.
Cometh the hour, cometh Sanju Samson! 🫡
9⃣7⃣*(50) – A knock for the ages to take #TeamIndia into the semi-finals 👏
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/ur4pr8Bi3K#T20WorldCup | #MenInBlue | #INDvWI | @IamSanjuSamson pic.twitter.com/ftJRp2wMTE
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 1, 2026
“It means the whole world actually to me. I think right from the day I started playing, started dreaming to play for the country, this is the day I was waiting for. And I’m very grateful, very thankful. I’ve always had a very special journey with lots of ups and downs, but I kept on doubting myself, kept on thinking: what if, what if… can I make it? But I kept on believing, and thanks to the Lord Almighty for actually blessing me today. So I’m very happy,” Sanju Samson said.
“Yeah, I think that’s why I have been playing this format for a very long time. Playing IPL for around 10 to 12 years and being with the Indian team for the last 10 years… I have not always been playing, but I was looking from the dugout, learning from greats like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. It’s very important to observe, learn, and see what they were doing,” he further added.
“I never felt that I would do something special like this” – Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson also shared how much he learned from watching matches from the dugout.
“I think that really helped me. With my experience, I have only played maybe 50-60 games, but I’ve seen around 100 games. I’ve watched how the greatest players finish games and how they change their approach according to the situation. In the last game we were batting first, so it was all about setting a very high score,” he said.
“So that’s why I wanted to go big right from ball one. But this game was completely different. As soon as I tried to go a bit harder, we were losing wickets. So I wanted to build a partnership, focus on my process. I never felt that I would do something special like this – I was just focusing on my role, taking it one ball at a time, and I’m very grateful,” he added.
He further added that it was “one of the greatest days of his life.”
“Yeah, definitely they do bring a lot of energy and support. But on the other hand, there’s always a question – what if not? That keeps playing in your mind. But whenever that thought came, I brought myself into the present moment, looked at the ball, and trusted myself to react based on its merit. That worked pretty well today,” Sanju Samson concluded.
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