Samson's Historic 97* Sends India to Semis
India's Sanju Samson delivered a stunning unbeaten 97* to chase down West Indies' total and book India's place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals, where they will face England at Wankhede. Samson's knock was not only match-winning but also record-breaking—he surpassed Virat Kohli in the record books, with his performance being hailed as "world-class" by commentators. The win also knocked West Indies out of the tournament.
Sanju Samson's match-winning 97 not out came off just 50 balls, including 12 fours and four sixes, guiding India to their highest-ever successful run chase in T20 World Cup history. The victory was achieved with four balls to spare, as Samson hit a six and a four in the final over to seal the semi-final spot. The innings set a new record for the highest score by an Indian batter in a T20 World Cup run chase, eclipsing Virat Kohli's iconic unbeaten 82 against Pakistan in 2022 and his 82 not out against Australia in 2016. This performance was crucial in the virtual quarter-final after India's chase had a shaky start, slipping to 41/2 inside five overs. This will be India's sixth appearance in a T20 World Cup semi-final, continuing their consistent performance in the tournament. By reaching the semi-finals, India has now made it to the last four of 20 senior men's ICC tournaments, the most by any team. The upcoming semi-final will be a rematch against England, who famously defeated India by 10 wickets in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final in Adelaide. However, India got the better of England in the 2024 semi-final on their way to winning the title. The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai has been a mixed bag for India in World Cup semi-finals, with a record of one win and two losses across both T20 and ODI formats. For the West Indies, the loss marked the end of a promising campaign that saw them win five consecutive matches before falling to South Africa and India in the Super Eights. Despite the exit, their power-packed batting was a highlight of the tournament, including a total of 254/6 against Zimbabwe, the second-highest in this World Cup.
