.jpg?type=hq)
Sanju Samson (L) and Virat Kohli with Family (Source: AFP/X)
After scripting India's highest successful run-chase in T20 World Cup history, star opener Sanju Samson didn't forget to mention the former India skipper and batting great, Virat Kohli. On the back of Sanju Samson's match-winning and unbeaten knock of 97 runs off just 50 balls, India have qualified for the semi-finals of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
Samson credited Kohli, the man who had established himself as a chase master for India in the T20 World Cup history. Samson also surpassed Kohli’s highest individual score (82*) for India in a successful run-chase in the T20 World Cup.
Virat Kohli’s sister lauds Sanju Samson for his batting masterclass against
In the same line of events, Virat Kohli’s sister, Bhawna Kohli, also lauded Samson for his memorable knock. Bhawna Kohli’s story came just a few minutes after the right-handed batter revealed his learnings from seeing Kohli bat in the IPL.
“Into the semis, India, on fire Sanju Samson,” wrote Kohli’s sister in her Instagram story, sharing a picture of Samson’s celebration after hitting the match-winning boundary against the West Indies.
“I’ve been watching and learning from greats like Virat Kohli” - Sanju Samson
After taking India through to the semis, Samson won the well-deserved ‘Player of the Match’ award for his knock. The 31-year-old also spoke about the learnings he took from observing the seniors, especially the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
“I’ve played in the IPL for around 10 to 12 years, and although I haven’t always been playing regularly for the country over the last 10 years, I’ve been watching from the dugout and learning from greats like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma,” said Samson during the post-match presentation.
“It’s very important to observe and learn to see what they do and how they finish games, how they adapt according to situations. I’ve probably played around 50 or 60 games, but I’ve watched over 100 games closely. Seeing how the best players change their game really helped me,” he added later.
Also Read: "Tears, Generational Knock": Fans Go Gaga Over Sanju Samson For Under-Pressure Knock
India to take on England in the T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Final
After defeating West Indies by five wickets in the last Super-8 game, India will now face England in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2026. The game will be played on Thursday, March 5, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Notably, India and England will be facing each other in the third consecutive T20 World Cup semi-final. Earlier, both teams faced off in the 2022 and 2024 editions. England had defeated India by 10 wickets in 2022 before the latter cleared the books with a 68-run win, two years later, in the 2024 edition.
In the current edition, both India and England have been through a similar run. They have registered six wins and a defeat each in their respective seven games so far.
Also Read- Pakistan vs Bangladesh Series Under Threat; Mohsin Naqvi's Diplomacy Fails
