The Indian team has successfully booked their ticket to the semi-final of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. The side took on the West Indies in a do-or-die clash in hopes of making it to the knockout stages of the tournament, and it was the performance of star batter Sanju Samson that helped the Men in Blue register a win and qualify for the semi-final.ย
Batting first, the Windies posted a total of 195 runs on the board. In response, India managed to chase down the target and won the game by five wickets. It was the performance of Sanju Samson that stood out for the Men in Blue; the star batter scored 97* runs in 50 deliveries, helping his side win the game.ย
Speaking on his performance, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif came forward and talked about how credit should go to South Africa for defeating India and waking them up for the forthcoming matches.ย
โCredit, in a way, goes to South Africa for defeating India badly, because that made the team rethink the combination. With six left-handed batters in the top eight, it felt that Sanju deserved a chance. He was brought in out of necessity, and then came this historic innings that has taken India into the semifinals,โ Kaif said in a video on his YouTube channel.ย
Kaif further heaped praise on Samson
Furthermore, Kaif lauded the performance of Sanju Samson in the clash. He talked about how special the knock was considering that a few matches ago, Samson was on the bench carrying drinks for the side.ย
โIn World Cup history, a 195-run target had never been chased before. India had previously managed chases around 160, with Virat Kohli playing a key role on those occasions. Now, after Kohli, it is Sanju Samson who has achieved this landmark, scripting history with a remarkable 195-run chase. What makes it even more special is that this was a player who had been on the sidelines throughout the World Cup, carrying drinks, dropped from the XI, sitting out,โ he said.ย
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