Sanju Samson’s 97* knocks out West Indies, Suryakumar Army storms into semi-final

India delivered a commanding performance to knock West Indies out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and book their place in the semi-finals. A composed and authoritative chase, led by Sanju Samson who scored 97* runs, ensured India buried the painful memories of the 2016 T20 World Cup exit at the Wankhede Stadium.

West Indies began strongly after opting to bat, with openers Roston Chase and Shai Hope putting up 49 without loss in the powerplay. Despite assistance for the bowlers, India struggled to find an early breakthrough. Hope departed for 32, but Shimron Hetmyer shifted gears with a blistering 27 off just 12 deliveries.

Contributions from Rovman Powell and Jason Holder powered West Indies to a competitive 195 for 5 in 20 overs. Jasprit Bumrah stood out for India, claiming two crucial wickets.

Chasing 196, India lost Abhishek Sharma early for 10. Sanju Samson then anchored the innings with maturity and intent. Ishan Kishan played a few attacking strokes before falling, while skipper Suryakumar Yadav shared a brief stand with Samson. Tilak Varma added 27 valuable runs as India kept the required rate under control.

With 50 needed off the last 30 balls, Hardik Pandya scored 17 and Shivam Dube joined Samson to calmly guide India home.

With this morale-boosting victory, India will now face England in the semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium on March 5.