Sanju Samson does a Simmons in reverse, steering India past West Indies in crucial Super 8 encounter and erasing memories of the 2016 semifinal loss.
It’s not easy to be in Sanju Samson’s shoes. The wicketkeeper-batter, who watched India win the 2024 World T20 campaign from the bench, was in the dugout again when the 2026 edition kicked off. A run of poor scores saw him being sidelined; from first-choice opener to a reserve option. Ishan Kishan had leapfrogged him to partner Abhishek Sharma at the top.
But the loss to South Africa in the Super Eights forced India to bring Samson back to break the sequence of three left-handed batters at the top. He grabbed the opportunity with both hands, first playing a 15-ball 24 against Zimbabwe, and then producing a career-defining unbeaten 97 against West Indies to power India into the semi-finals.
A decade ago, West Indies’ Lendl Simmons had scored an unbeaten 82 in the 2016 World T20 semi-final to knock India out. Samson returning the favour against West Indies in the ongoing World T20 is sweet revenge for that heartbreaking loss a decade ago.
Aggressive batting in powerplay
With Abhishek hitting a sudden slump in form, registering three straight ducks, he was forced to play a little more conservatively. That meant the onus fell on Samson to provide India with quick starts. He responded with a brisk cameo against Zimbabwe, helping India post an opening stand of 48 runs.
But Samson knew he needed a big knock to cement his place. He chose the biggest stage; a virtual quarter-final against West Indies. With Abhishek starting slowly again in the powerplay, managing 10 off 10 balls, Samson exploded in the third over. He struck a four and two sixes off the third, fourth, and sixth deliveries against Akeal Hosein. That burst of aggression gave India the momentum to lay the foundation for the chase, as they raced to 53 in the powerplay.
Read More: T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs WI: Sanju Samson anchors the chase successfully to take India into SF
Samson sets himself up for long innings
The first task was done. Samson had given India a strong start, but he needed to bat deep to keep the chase on track. He refrained from playing risky shots in the air and focused on hitting straight down the ground while building partnerships. Even though he was anchoring the innings, Samson dominated the third-wicket stand of 58 runs with Suryakumar Yadav, who managed only 18 off 16 balls. In that partnership, Samson scored 35 off 19 deliveries, striking five fours and a six.
After reaching his fifty, instead of shifting gears, Samson looked up in gratitude for the timely knock and reset himself; the job was far from done. He put his head down and committed to guiding the innings to the finish line. He and Tilak Varma added a quickfire 42-run stand before the latter departed for a 15-ball 27. Samson kept his calm and did not allow the wickets tumbling at the other end to affect his approach.
Samson later credited the greats he had played alongside for teaching him how to pace an innings in a tense chase. “Learned from a lot of greats like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni. That helped with my experience. I’ve noticed how the greats play, and seeing how they change their game according to situations,” Samson said.
Read More: Hardik Pandya India’s MVP: Why the Blue Brigade relies on him in big tournaments?
Calmness at the death
The match was still far from over as India entered the death overs. Samson had finisher Hardik Pandya for company. The duo batted sensibly, picking the odd boundary and running hard between the wickets for ones and twos. They added 38 runs in 3.4 overs without taking unnecessary risks. When Pandya fell in the 19th over, India still needed 17 runs off 10 balls. Samson’s calm presence helped the next batter, Shivam Dube, play two orthodox shots to the boundary.
Finally, with victory just seven runs away, Samson unleashed a big heave over square leg and followed it up with a four over mid-on to seal the win. He sank to his knees and thanked the almighty for what could be considered one of the finest knocks in a successful chase alongside great innings such as Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 82 against Pakistan in the 2022 World T20.
Post-game reflections
Commentator Ravi Shastri summed up Samson’s knock, stating, “…what I liked best was even with wickets falling around him, he never lost his cool. He was calm and composed in front of a big crowd. No one has questioned his talent, but they have been disappointed with his consistency. He brought everything to the fore today and made millions around the globe happy.”
Finally, Samson has got his due, and the praise is thoroughly deserved. There are plenty of lessons to be drawn from his journey. As he himself admitted, he has spent far more matches sitting in the dugout than playing in the middle. “Had a lot of ups and downs. Kept doubting myself, thinking will I make it?,” Samson said. “I kept on working on my base. Switched off my phone, switched off social media. I just listened to my own self,” he added.
Now, with India into the semis, they will need Samson to maintain that consistency and provide the kind of starts that can bat the opposition out of the tournament. This time, he has the opportunity to lift a world title from the middle. Not as a spectator in the dressing room, but as a protagonist at the crease.
Respect the name: Sanju Samson!!!
— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) March 1, 2026
On his day, Sanju is Samson!
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) March 1, 2026
If we ever needed reminding, #SanjuSamson has reminded us that you never write off class. He is a very special cricketer but today the quality lay in his maturity, in the responsibility to be there at the end
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 1, 2026
Read More: T20 World Cup 2026: As the business end beckons, have SA pipped India as top favourites?
