Kolkata: Perpetually under scrutiny, Sanju Samson rose above the noise to produce a match-winning 97 not out as India defeated West Indies by five wickets in their T20 World Cup Super-Eights match to reach the semifinals, here on Sunday.
India face England in the semifinals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 5.
Asked to bat, West Indies executed a clear attacking blueprint as they rode on Roston Chase’s foundation before unleashing a late assault by Rovman Powell (34 not out; 19 balls) and Jason Holder (37 not out; 22 balls) to post an imposing 195 for 4.
In front of a packed Eden Gardens with over 65,000 in attendance, Sanju stood tall on a night when India’s in-form batters faltered under pressure. His magnificent knock helped India reached 199 for 5 in 19.2 overs.
Abhishek Sharma (10 off 11 balls) endured a forgettable outing and also survived two dropped catches, while Ishan Kishan (10 off 6 balls) also got out cheaply.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav (18 off 16 balls), the otherwise dependable Tilak Varma (27 off 15 balls) and Hardik Pandya (17 off 14 balls) also failed to convert their starts.
Amid that backdrop, Sanju, playing in only his third match of the T20 World Cup, became the defining figure, striking 12 fours and four sixes in his 50-ball unbeaten knock. He batted through the chase with poise and authority to seal the win with four balls to spare.
Sanju brought the scores level in the 19th over by heaving Romario Shepherd’s attempted yorker high over square leg for a towering six.
He then sealed the chase cleanly over a leaping mid-on for four to take India into the semifinals and end West Indies’ campaign at the very venue where they lifted their second and last World Cup in 2016.
As “Maa Tujhe Salaam” echoed the stands, Sanju dropped to his knees, removed his helmet and said a quiet prayer in a moment of relief, gratitude and redemption while the BCCI top brass gave a standing ovation.
