Tilak Varma's lucid style of strokeplay must have brought a wide grin on Suresh Raina's face while watching him reverse sweep Ravichandran Ashwin for a six.
Samson tried to whip Donovan Ferreira down the ground but the ball hit umpire Rohan Pandit on the shin and he required medical assistance before he was able to continue.
India will look to address several lingering selection puzzles when they take on South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday in the first ODI of the three-match series, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the set-up for a short audition that could well shape their 2027 World Cup fate.
Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer who have often been overlooked in the T20 format, will captain Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings respectively with both eager to make a statement.
India faced a heavy defeat against South Africa in their T20 World Cup Super Eights opener after a batting collapse while chasing 188. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav admitted the failure to build partnerships cost them the game.
ri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka smashed a belligerent century as Indian bowlers endured their worst day in the Asia Cup before Arshdeep Singh produced a brilliant 'Super Over' to win the game for his side in Dubai on Friday.
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar hailed Sanju Samson after his match-winning knock powered India to a five-wicket victory in the must-win match against West Indies in the T20 World Cup.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League Qualifier 2 match played between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad, on Sunday.
The former South African batter pointed out that Rana does not have a lot of international experience with the new ball, but is well supported in the pace department.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of T20 World Cup 2026 after Game 48.
At the end, Rohit concluded the interaction with Tilak by using famous Hyderabadi slang 'Bahut maza aya tumse baat karne miyan! (it was nice to talk to you)'.
Mumbai won with 31 balls to spare, only the five time IPL winners's third win in 12 IPL 2022 games. CSK slumped to their eighth defeat, ending their slim hopes of making it to the last four.
"Domestic political issues" might prevent Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi from attending the ICC's Executive Board meeting in Dubai where the BCCI is set to raise the issue of the Asia Cup trophy not being presented to India.
BCCI Data Analyst Hari Prasad Mohan is among the many whose quiet contributions in the background often lay the foundations for Team India's success.
Mumbai Indians' head coach Mahela Jayawardene praises Rohit Sharma's improved fitness and commitment ahead of IPL 2026, while also highlighting Suryakumar Yadav's leadership and Jasprit Bumrah's work ethic.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of T20 World Cup 2026 after Game 52.
A review of the key contributions from each player in India's victorious T20 World Cup campaign, highlighting individual brilliance and teamwork.
Hardik Pandya marked his return to the Indian team from a two-month injury layoff with a match-winning half-century.
Tilak Varma and Riyan Parag led the celebrations as India A won the Duleep Trophy 2024-25 with a thrilling win over India C on Sunday.
Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored half-centuries as Kolkata Knight Riders posted a total of 220 for 4 against Mumbai Indians in their IPL match.
India's players lauded batting maestro Virat Kohli after his scintillating century guided India to a 17-run win over South Africa in the first ODI in Ranchi on Sunday.
IMAGES from the fourth and deciding T20I played between South Africa and India in Johannesburg on Friday
India pacer Harshit Rana has revealed that the Indian management is aiming to groom him as an all-rounder.
Rishabh Pant was ruled out for nearly three months after he fractured his foot during the fourth Test against England in Manchester in July.
Shivam Dube's consistent and crucial contributions often went unnoticed during India's victorious T20 World Cup campaign, despite his significant impact on the team's success.
Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh moved up to the sixth and 10th spot respectively in the latest ICC T20 rankings released on Wednesday.
'I am learning how to finish games from Rinku as he is doing it consistently for India. I also want to do and hopefully in coming matches I will be doing that.'
The T20 WC champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
The match ended after New Zealand scored 133 for 4 in their second innings.
Samson, Bumrah help India tide over England challenge to reach second successive T20 WC final
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of T20 World Cup 2026.
'With the ease and the calmness that he batted, it gave us a lot of confidence that now, probably, we are on the right track.'
A rampant Mumbai Indians will present a stern test of character for the rattled Punjab Kings in a virtual semi-final when the two teams face-off in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
India went on an experimentation spree in the limited overs series against the West Indies but not much came out of it except Tilak Varma emerging as a contender for a World Cup middle-order slot on the back of his exploits in the T20 series.
India will be hoping that Abhishek Sharma returns to his destructive ways and the other batters up their game against spin when the side takes the field for its final T20 World Cup league fixture against the Netherlands.
India will be keen to get the job done against Bangladesh and seal their place in Sunday's final before considering resting their players.
An analysis of Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy during India's T20 World Cup victory, highlighting his unique leadership style and its impact on the team's performance.
South Africa A humble India A by 73 runs to avoid series whitewash
India will take on the UAE in their tournament-opener on September 10 before facing arch rivals Pakistan at Dubai on September 14. Their third group match will be against Oman on September 19 before the Super Four stage.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is "ready to start" ahead of the first T20I against South Africa of the five-match series, which will take place on December 9.
