T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs WI: Sanju Samson anchors the chase successfully to take India into SF

T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs WI: Sanju Samson’s composed knock (97 off 50) guides India past West Indies and seals semifinal qualification.

Brief Scores: India 199/5 (Sanju Samson 97*, Jason Holder 2/38) beat West Indies 195/4 (Roston Chase 40, Jason Holder 37*, 2/17, Jasprit Bumrah 2/36) by five wickets.

The tenth edition of the T20 World Cup lived up to the expectations as one of the most important games of the tournament, between India and West Indies went till the wire. In the end, it was hosts India who held their nerves in the high-pressure run-chase, winning by five wickets, thanks to a splendid 97* by Sanju Samson. Earlier in the day, the West Indies piled up 195, powered by useful contributions by most of their batters.

Talking Point: Sanju Samson’s return to form good news for India ahead of knockouts
Sanju Samson reserved his best for the big occasion, smashing India’s second-highest individual score in T20 World Cup history. He brought his A game to what was virtually a quarterfinal and delivered when it mattered most.

What made the knock even more special was the lack of substantial support from the other end. The next-best India batter was Tilak Varma, who managed just 27. In many ways, Samson single-handedly propelled India into the last four.

This performance augurs well for the Men in Blue, especially as they head into the semifinal against England at the Wankhede Stadium.

Read More: T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs ZIM: India beat Zimbabwe; will face WI now in virtual QF on March 1

West Indies set India challenging 196-run target
West Indies, inserted to bat first, made a change in the opening combination with Roston Chase opening with skipper Shai Hope. The former enjoyed two reprieves, first in the form of a run out, and the second, a dropped catch. Despite those chances, India’s bowlers conceded just 45 runs on a good batting wicket in the powerplay, though they didn’t pick any wickets.

The next four overs yielded 37, and at the halfway mark, West Indies were at 82, with the loss of Hope’s wicket. The momentum shift came in the 11th over for them as Shimron Hetmeyer smashed 16 runs off Varun Chakravarthy. India then pulled things back with Bumrah picking two wickets in the same over, as the next four overs went for just 26 runs. In this phase, Hardik Pandya dismissed the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford.

If the middle overs saw India gaining the upper hand, they couldn’t capitalise as West Indies put on a show at the death. 70 runs came in the final five overs, with 24 & 14 of them coming just in the 16th & 17th overs, respectively. Jason Holder and Rovman Powell were able to give WI a strong finish, setting a massive 196-run target for India.

Samson powers India to their highest successful run chase in T20 World Cups
India, in pursuit of what would be their highest successful run-chase in T20 World Cups, suffered a jolt. They lost the out-of-form opener, Abhishek Sharma, for just 10, and then the very in-form Ishan Kishan. As a result, the powerplays were a mixed bag, with India hammering 53 runs and at the same time, losing two important wickets.

However, India batters, especially Sanju Samson, kept the required run rate under check as they hammered 45 runs off the next four overs. In the 13th over, bowled by Shamar Joseph, India struck four boundaries, whereas the very next over yielded 15 runs. This ensured that skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s untimely departure had minimal effect on India’s target pursuit. The required rate was kept at or below 10 in the last six overs as India finished the chase with four balls to spare.

Read More: T20 WC 2026: India vs West Indies a virtual quarter-final now; key battles to watch out for on Mar 1

Statistical highlights from IND vs WI T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash

• Shimron Hetmeyer was dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah for the second time in T20Is, and the sixth time in T20s.
• Shai Hope & Roston Chase added 64 runs for the first wicket. This is the highest opening stand against India in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
• Jason Holder and Rovman Powell added 76 runs for the fifth wicket. This is the highest fifth-wicket stand for West Indies against India in a T20 World Cup match.
• West Indies’ team score of 195-4 is their second-highest total in a T20 World Cup fixture against India, just behind their 196/3 at Wankhede in the 2016 semi-final clash.
• This was Sanju Samson’s maiden half-century in the T20 World Cups.
• The 58-run stand between Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson is the second-highest for India against the West Indies for the third wicket in the T20 World Cups.
• The 42-run stand between Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson is the joint highest for India against West Indies for the fourth wicket in the T20 World Cups.
• Sanju Samson registered the highest runs (97) in a chase for India in T20 World Cup history.
• India registered their biggest successful chase in T20 World Cup history.
• Sanju Samson’s 97* is the second-highest individual score by an India batter in T20 World Cups.

What’s to come
With this win, India became the last team to qualify for the semi-finals. They will now face England at the Wankhede on March 5 in the second semi-final. The first match will see New Zealand taking on the unbeaten South Africa.

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