West Indies Vs India: Samson's 97 Seals Five-Wicket Win in Super 8 Thriller, Sets Up England Semi
In a Super 8s decider at Eden Gardens, the west indies vs india clash ended with India chasing down 196 as Sanju Samson produced an unbeaten 97 to secure a five-wicket victory and a place in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England. The result wrapped up Group 1 and confirmed India as runners-up behind South Africa.
West Indies Vs India: Match scorecard and key stats
West Indies 195-4 (20 overs): Roston Chase 40; Jasprit Bumrah 2-36. India 199-5 (19. 2 overs): Sanju Samson 97*; Holder 2-38.
- Samson hit 12 fours and four sixes in a 50-ball, chanceless innings.
- India reached the target with four balls to spare, finishing in 19. 2 overs.
- Tilak Varma contributed 27 off 15 as India’s next-highest score.
Samson's innings and the chase
Sanju Samson batted through India's reply, compiling an unbeaten 97 off 50 deliveries. He struck the winning sequence with a six followed by a four off Romario Shepherd to take India over the line. Samson lifted his 50th delivery over mid-on to seal victory by five wickets with four balls remaining. His composed approach was decisive in a chase of 196, a target larger than India had ever successfully pursued in a 20-over World Cup match before this game.
How West Indies constructed 195-4
West Indies were inserted to bat and saw Roston Chase handed an opening slot for the first time in Twenty20 internationals. Chase provided stability and measured aggression, top-scoring with 40 off 25. He put on partnerships of 68 off 53 with Shai Hope and 34 off 16 with Shimron Hetmyer; the latter partnership ended when Jasprit Bumrah dismissed both in a single over. Shimron Hetmyer made 27. Rovman Powell and Jason Holder reignited the innings with unbeaten knocks of 34 and 37 respectively, combining for a late 76 off the final 35 balls to lift the total to 195-4.
Bowling, fielding lapses and turning points
India’s fielding was described as sloppy after they dropped three catches and missed a run-out chance; Abhishek Sharma was singled out for a particularly poor fumble. Jasprit Bumrah was instrumental in stemming momentum, taking two wickets for 36 and using a slower ball to outfox Roston Chase before inducing a thin edge from Shimron Hetmyer. West Indies’ Jason Holder also finished with bowling figures of 2-38 while contributing with the bat.
Implications: semi-final setup and tournament context
The victory confirmed India as runners-up in Super 8s Group 1 and set up a semi-final clash with England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday (13: 30 GMT). For the third consecutive T20 World Cup, England will meet India in the semi-finals. In the past two tournaments the winner of the England–India semi has gone on to lift the trophy; England prevailed in Adelaide in 2022 and were beaten in Guyana two years later.
