5 min readMar 2, 2026 02:29 PM IST
With his knock of 50-ball knock of 97 runs against West Indies in what was a virtual quarter-final at Eden Gardens on Sunday night, Sanju Samson ensured that India made its highest successful run chase in T20 World Cup history. Samson’s knock, which was studded with 12 boundaries and four sixes, also was the highest score by any Indian batter in a run chase in the tournament’s history, surpassing Virat Kohli’s record knocks of 82 against Australia at Mohali in 2016 and against Pakistan in 2022. Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has showered praise on Samson’s impactful knock and shared how Sunday’s knock had everything in terms of timing, placement, power as well class.
“It is Sanju’s special Samson today, and that innings was special, because just his calmness, his composure, and just the sublime touch right through that innings. You had everything. You had timing, you had placement, you had explosive power, you had class and 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,” said Shastri while speaking with the ICC Review.
Samson, who was playing in his 60th T20I in his career on Sunday, was preferred over Shubman Gill for the Indian World Cup squad. With Ishan Kishan performing well with the best during the New Zealand series and Samson managing only 46 runs in the five-match series, the Kerala cricketer played in India;s second match against Namibia with Sharma being ill. Samson then did not play India’s group matches against Pakistan, Netherlands and their opening match in Super 8 against South Africa. With Abhishek Sharma struggling with form, Indian team management decided to play Samson against Zimbabwe in their next Super 8 match and the 31-year-old would play a knock of 24 runs against Zimbabwe.
On Sunday, Samson hit his seventh fifty-plus score in the T20Is with three T20I hundreds scored earlier and ensured that defending champions India would advance to the semi-final of the marquee event. While praising the Kerala cricketer, Shastri shared how people’s expectations from Samson have been huge throughout his career and how Sunday’s knock made millions around the globe happy.
“This was not a league game. This was a knockout contest. People’s expectations of Samson have been huge right through his career. 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.” added Shastri.
Indian had lost openers Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan within the first five overs. Samson, who had come out to open with Sharma, started off well with 20 runs off ten balls and would remain unbeaten on 97 runs off 50 balls to ensure India’s five-wicket win in the match. Samson was at his best against West Indies bowlers Akeal Hosein and Romario Shepherd, whom he hit 17 runs off five balls and 24 runs off nine balls respectively.
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Indian coach Gautam Gambhir too lauded Samson for his heroic knock for India on Sunday. “He is a world class player, we all know how good a player Sanju is. And it was all about backing him. And then when the team needed him the most, obviously today was a day where he probably showed his true potential as well. And hopefully, This is a time for him to kick off and probably two more games to go, hopefully. I actually thought that he never accelerated the innings. It was just very, very normal cricketing shots and I never saw any muscling the ball as well and that is the kind of talent he has. When you know that you’re in control of the game and you know that you’re feeling good, he’s hitting the ball really well in the nets and it’s about going in the middle and showcasing that skill that you had and obviously he knew that the wicket was very good, quick outfield as well but again I have always said that he is a world class player, he is a great talent and hopefully he can kick off from now and hopefully we can see a lot more innings like this from Sanju,” Gambhir said post the win.
