Samson's explosive knock secures semi-final spot for India

Indian opener Sanju Samson on Tuesday expressed gratitude to fans for their support after he delivered a stunning unbeaten innings against the West Indies in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s fixture at Eden Gardens.

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Samson's explosive 97-run knock off 50 balls, with the help of 12 fours and four sixes, guided the defending champion to a five-wicket win against the West Indies, which helped them to secure their place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals.

Match Summary

In the match, West Indies posted 195/4 after opting to bat, powered by contributions from Roston Chase (40), Hope (32), Shimron Hetmyer (27), and an unbeaten 76-run partnership between Jason Holder (37*) and Rovman Powell (34*). India's bowlers were led by Jasprit Bumrah, who returned figures of 2/36.

In reply, India overcame an early setback before a series of partnerships guided them home. Samson played a key role in the chase, stitching crucial stands with Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, as India sealed a five-wicket victory to progress further in the tournament.

'Two more steps to go': Samson's heartfelt message to fans

Sharing an Instagram story on his official handle, Samson wrote, "Just wanted to reach out and convey my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who showed love, support, and kept me in your prayers. Seeing and experiencing so much love coming my way truly means a lot. Just want to say - THANK YOU ALL. Two more steps to go. INDIA."

India to face England in semi-final

India's win at Eden Gardens set up a high-stakes semi-final clash with England in Mumbai on March 5, keeping alive their hopes of back-to-back T20 World Cup titles.

Squads

India Squad: Ishan Kishan(w), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson.

England Squad: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler(w), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook(c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood, Josh Tongue, Rehan Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Ben Duckett. (ANI)