In a night that will be remembered as one of the greatest escapes in Indian cricket history, the Men in Blue defied the odds at Eden Gardens to hunt down a massive 196-run target. Defeating the West Indies by five wickets in this “virtual quarter-final,” India has officially secured a semi-final clash against England at the Wankhede Stadium on March 5.
The architect of this historic heist was Sanju Samson, whose unbeaten 97 off 50 balls* didn’t just win the game, it shattered Virat Kohli’s long-standing record for the highest individual score by an Indian in a T20 World Cup chase.
First Innings: Caribbean Firepower Silences Kolkata
After winning the toss and opting to bowl, India struggled to contain a relentless West Indian top order. Despite Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliant double-strike in the 12th over to remove Roston Chase (40) and Shimron Hetmyer (27), the Windies refused to decelerate.
TA blistering 76-run unbeaten partnership between Jason Holder (37)* and Rovman Powell (34)* took the visitors to a daunting 195/4. India’s chase was made harder by their own lapses, as Abhishek Sharma dropped two crucial catches that allowed the Windies to post a total well above the venue’s average.
The Chase: Samson Eclipses “King Kohli”
India’s reply began with a stutter as Abhishek Sharma (10) and Ishan Kishan (17) fell early, leaving the hosts at a precarious 45/2 in the fifth over.
However, Sanju Samson, promoted to the top, played the innings of his life. He reached his fifty in just 26 balls and anchored a crucial 58-run stand with skipper Suryakumar Yadav (18). When Surya and Tilak Varma (27) departed, the pressure shifted back to Samson and Hardik Pandya.
In the 18th over, Samson surpassed Virat Kohli’s legendary 82* to become India’s highest individual scorer in a T20 World Cup chase. Needing 7 runs off the final over, Samson launched Romario Shepherd over mid-on to seal the victory with four balls to spare.
