Sanju Samson’s 97 Powers India Into T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Finals

Team India won the match against West Indies by 5 wickets on Sunday to enter the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026. India pursued a total of 196 set by the West Indian team in 19.2 overs, losing 5 wickets. The aggressive wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson played a crucial role in India's victory.

Samson played outstanding cricket, scoring an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls. This is one of the finest performances of his life. Sanju Samson was awarded the Player of the Match award for his outstanding performance. Team coach Gautam Gambhir was seen to be extremely emotional after the match.

Gambhir hugged Sanju Samson tightly and praised him profusely in the press conference. After the match, Gautam Gambhir told reporters, "We all know that Sanju is a world-class player, and it was all about supporting him. When the team needed him the most, today was obviously the day when he perhaps showed his true potential, and hopefully, this is the time for him to kick off, with maybe two more games left."

Gambhir said, "We started very well with the new ball, especially when you play a match like this. Sanju didn't try to hit the ball hard. He played shots according to the situation, and we all know how much potential he has. Sanju is batting well in the nets."

Gambhir concluded, "People will keep looking at his scores and all that, but coming back into the team and playing those 23-24 innings, I thought it would have given him a lot of confidence. Because obviously, the guy had a tough series against New Zealand. But we always knew what kind of potential he had."

The Indian coach said that the team now has two players who can play fast and also settle down. Both Ishan and Sanju are in good form, and this will benefit the team in the coming days.

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