India’s Sanju Samson celebrates his team’s win against West Indies at the end of their 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup Super Eights match in the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on March 1, 2026. Picture: Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP Sanju Samson’s sparkling unbeaten 97 kept alive India’s dream of retaining theT20 World Cupat home as they knocked out the West Indies with a five-wicket win in Kolkata on Sunday to set up asemi-finalagainst England. Samson hit 12 fours and four sixes in his superb 50-ball knock in the winner-takes-all final Super Eights match to thrill a capacity 67,000 fans at a pulsating Eden Gardens.
After the West Indies smacked 70 off the last five overs to score 195-4 after being asked to bat, India lost two early wickets but were always up with the required rate. Samson, opening for the second match in succession, led the way. When India slipped to 41-2 he was joined by captain Suryakumar Yadav (18) and the pair added 58 for the third wicket.
Tilak Varma was next to join Samson and scored 27 off 15 before departing in the 15th over with the score 141-4 and India still needing 55. Samson stood firm and though Hardik Pandya fell for 17 India reached the target with four balls to spare to spark celebrations and fireworks. Jason Holder and Rovman Powell earlier put on an unbroken stand of 76 for the fifth wicket to help the West Indies set the defending champions a target of 196 to stay alive.
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That enabled them to bring in an extra spinner, Akeal Hosein, with regular opener Brandon King left out. In their defeat to South Africa last week the West Indies slumped to 83-7 but the new-look opening partnership was more assured.
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