Sanju Samson’s masterclass powers India into T20 World Cup semis

Sanju Samson showed his class when it mattered most, crafting a dazzling 97 runs off 50 balls to steer India into the semifinals of the 2025 ICC T20 World Cup with a well-deserved win over West Indies at a roaring Eden Gardens on Sunday.

Blending elegance with authority, Samson peppered the boundaries with silken drives and audacious picks. His calculated assault ensured India chased down the target in emphatic fashion to seal their last-four berth.

India will now lock horns with England in a high-stakes semifinal in Mumbai on Thursday.


After the West Indies unleashed a brutal finish, scoring 70 runs off the final five overs to post 195/4, India faced an uphill task in their chase but stayed comfortably ahead of the required rate despite losing two early wickets.

Opening for the second match in a row, Sanju Samson led the charge. When India slipped to 41/2, he was joined by captain Suryakumar Yadav, who contributed 18, and together they stitched a crucial 58-run partnership for the third wicket.

Tilak Varma then joined Samson, hitting a blistering 27 off 15 before falling in the 15th over with India at 141/4 and needing 55 more runs. Samson held firm, and even after Hardik Pandya departed for 17, India chased down the target with four balls to spare, sparking celebrations and fireworks.

Earlier, Jason Holder and Rovman Powell had put on an unbeaten 76-run stand for the fifth wicket, helping West Indies set a challenging total of 196 to keep themselves alive in the tournament.

West Indies had also made a surprising call at the top of the order, promoting Test captain Roston Chase to open alongside T20 skipper Shai Hope. This allowed them to bring in an extra spinner, Akeal Hosein, with regular opener Brandon King left out.

India’s spinner Varun Chakravarthy got the first breakthrough, dismissing Hope for a slow 32. Shimron Hetmyer raced to 27 off 12 balls but fell to a faint edge off Jasprit Bumrah, leaving the score at 102/2. After Chase fell for 40 and Sherfane Rutherford followed, Powell and Holder launched a brutal late assault, finishing unbeaten with 34* (19) and 37* (22) respectively, hitting multiple sixes and fours.

Despite the strong chase, India had earlier been let down by fielding lapses, dropping three regulation catches, including one off Chase when he had just 15.

Earlier, India win the toss and skipper Suryakumar Yadav sent West Indies to bat. West Indies finish on 195 for 4.

Jason Holder and Rovman Powell smashed 70 runs in the final five overs to lift West Indies to a challenging 195 against defending champions India in a must-win clash.

West Indies surprised many by promoting Test captain Roston Chase to open alongside Shai Hope, allowing them to field an extra spinner, Akeal Hosein, with Brandon King left out. The move paid off as the new opening pair put on 68 before Varun Chakravarthy bowled Hope for 32.

Shimron Hetmyer’s quickfire 27 off 12 pushed the score past 100, but Jasprit Bumrah struck twice in two balls to remove Hetmyer and Chase, leaving West Indies at 103-3. After Sherfane Rutherford fell cheaply, Powell (34* off 19) and Holder (37* off 22) stitched an unbeaten 76-run stand to power the late surge.

Earlier, unbeaten South Africa beat Zimbabwe by five wickets and will meet New Zealand in the first semifinal in Kolkata.


The final will be played in Ahmedabad next Sunday.