Gambhir lauding Samson (Source: X)
Cometh the hour, cometh the man – that Sanju Samson for India on Sunday. The India wicket-keeper batter, who was not even in India’s playing XI for the majority of the T20 World Cup 2026, played a gem of a knock to keep India in a game where no one gave him support to get the job done.
No wonder India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir stood up from his seat to give a standing ovation when he crossed the 50-run mark. It was much-required in a high-octane India versus West Indies T20 World Cup Super 8 clash, particularly when India were chasing a challenging target of 196 at Eden Gardens.
Sanju Samson Comes In Rinku Singh's Place; Goes Ballistic
After a poor T20I outing against New Zealand, the BCCI decided to drop Samson from India’s playing XI in the T20 World Cup, and gave the opening responsibilities to Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma. However, after Rinku Singh’s family emergency during T20 World Cup, which included his father’s demise amidst poor run of form, gave Samson an opportunity out of nowhere.
Also Read: Sanju Samson Makes Special Promise To CSK Fans Ahead Of IPL 2026
No wonder Samson took the chance with both hands, and Gambhir rightly appreciated after seeing him going berserk at Eden Gardens in a must-win tie against the mighty West Indies.
India In Control vs West Indies During Nervy Chase
In a clash where the winner will get a ticket in the semi-finals, the West Indies posted 195/4 on the board. The likes of Roston Chase (40 off 25 balls), Shimron Hetmyer (27 off 12 balls), Rovman Powell (34* off 19 balls) and Jason Holder (37* off 22 balls) all chipped in with handy contributions to get there, making the contest not an easy one for the T20 World Cup co-hosts.
Coming to chase, Samson played a beauty of a knock, while Abhishek Sharma and captain Suryakumar Yadav, who opted to field first after winning the toss, failed to make anything significant, with 11-ball 10 and 16-ball 18 respectively. Ishan Kishan did not survive for long either, losing his wicket for a 6-ball 10.
Still, Samson held the fort from one end, and Tilak Varma kept on going to keep the required run rate under control. With Tilak returning to the pavilion after a brisk 15-ball 27, Hardik Pandya came in the middle to keep the momentum going.
At the time of writing this, India are 146/4 after 15 overs, with 50 runs to score in 30 balls having got six wickets in hand. The match should be India’s to lose, given that Axar Patel and Shivam Dube still waiting in the wings to get the job done comprehensively.
Notably, England, South Africa and New Zealand have already booked their ticket for the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
Also Read: Shimron Hetmyer Kicks Out Sahibzada Farhan From Epic T20 World Cup Record
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