Samson special books India's semifinal spot

Sanju Samson's unbeaten 97 off 50 balls powered India to a five-wicket victory over West Indies at Eden Gardens, securing their place in the T20 World Cup semifinals against England. Chasing 195 in a virtual quarterfinal, Samson anchored India's highest successful chase in T20 World Cup history, finishing the match with four balls to spare.

India's chase began cautiously, scoring only 12 runs in the first two overs. Samson shifted momentum by attacking left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein in the Powerplay, striking a four and a six. Despite losing Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan early, Samson's 24 off 13 balls in the Powerplay guided India to 53/2 after six overs.

After the Powerplay, Samson accelerated, reaching his fifty off 26 balls. He dominated the middle overs with calculated aggression, hitting boundaries off Jason Holder, Gudakesh Motie, and Romario Shepherd. Although Suryakumar Yadav struggled and fell for 15 in a 58-run partnership, Tilak Varma's quickfire 27 off 13 balls eased pressure, reducing the equation to 60 needed from 36 balls.

Samson held firm despite late wickets of Varma and Hardik Pandya, sealing the win with a boundary in the final over.

Earlier, West Indies posted 195/4 after being asked to bat. Captain Shai Hope's slow start—25 off 25 balls in the Powerplay—limited early momentum. Roston Chase provided stability with 40, but the innings gained life when Shimron Hetmyer smashed two sixes in his 12-ball 27, briefly reclaiming the record for most sixes in a single T20 World Cup edition.

Jasprit Bumrah's double-wicket over removed both Hetmyer and Chase, stifling West Indies' progress. However, a late assault led by Rovman Powell (24 off 11 balls) and Jason Holder (37* off 19 balls) propelled West Indies to a competitive total, adding 70 runs in the final five overs.

Brief scores: West Indies 195/4 in 20 overs (Roston Chase 40, Jason Holder 37*; Jasprit Bumrah 2-36) lost to India 199/5 in 19.2 overs (Sanju Samson 97*, Tilak Varma 27; Jason Holder 2-38) by five wickets.