Sanju Samson's majestic knock of 97 from 50 balls single-handedly powered India to a five-wicket win over West Indies to seal their spot in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
Key Points
- Sanju Samson slammed an unbeaten 97 from 50 balls to take India to a five-wicket win against West Indies.
- Samson surpassed the great Virat Kohli (82) to register the highest score by an Indian batter in a run chase in T20 World Cups.
- His knock is the second-highest by an Indian batter in T20 World Cups after Suresh Raina's 101 against South Africa in 2010.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir hailed Sanju Samson's match-winning performance against West Indies in the T20 World Cup match at Kolkata's Eden Gardens on Sunday, saying he showed his true potential when the team needed him the most.
Gambhir said Samson is a world-class player who deserved the backing, and this match-winning knock could prove to be a turning point for his career.
Samson's majestic knock of 97 from 50 balls single-handedly powered India to a five-wicket win over West Indies to seal their spot in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
He surpassed the great Virat Kohli (82) to register the highest score by an Indian batter in a run chase in T20 World Cups. His knock is the second-highest by an Indian batter in T20 World Cups after Suresh Raina, who had stroked 101 against South Africa in the 2010 T20 World Cup.
"Sanju is a world-class player, we all know how good a player he is. And it was all about backing him. And then when the team needed him the most, obviously today was a day where he probably showed his true potential, and hopefully, this is a time for him to kick off and probably two more games to go," Gautam Gambhir told the reporters after the match.
Gambhir lauded the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter's composure at the crease, saying he played normal cricketing shots without looking to force the pace.
"Look, I actually thought that he never accelerated the innings. It was just a very, very normal cricketing shot, and I never saw any muscling the ball as well, and that is the kind of talent he has. When you know that you're in control of the game and you know that you're feeling good, he's hitting the ball really well in the nets and it's about going in the middle and showcasing that skill that you had.
"Obviously he knew that the wicket was very good, quick outfield as well but again I have always said that he is a world class player, he is a great talent and hopefully he can kick off from now and hopefully we can see a lot more innings like this from Sanju," he added.
The India coach said the team management always believed in Samson's potential despite his below-par showing in the New Zealand series in January.
"People will keep looking at his scores and stuff, but then coming back into the team and then playing that kind of innings of 23-24, I thought it must have given him a lot of confidence because obviously, the guy had a tough series against New Zealand but we always knew the kind of potential he had," Gambhir added.
© 2026