Kolkata’s Eden Gardens witnessed a fairy-tale redemption story on Sunday as Sanju Samson turned the tables on captain Suryakumar Yadav in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 finale against West Indies. India’s five-wicket chase of 196 was masterminded by Samson’s explosive 97 not out, forcing a humbled SKY to lower his head in salute upon his return.
Rewind to eight days ago: Ahead of the South Africa defeat, Yadav cheekily rebuffed queries about slotting in Samson over underperforming stars like Abhishek Sharma or Tilak Varma. That loss exposed India’s batting frailties, making semifinal hopes hang by a thread.
Samson’s inclusion against Zimbabwe proved pivotal. Replacing the unavailable Rinku Singh, he opened aggressively, notching 24 off 15 balls to set a strong foundation for victory. This earned him a permanent opener’s role heading into the must-win West Indies encounter.
With the top order in tatters—Sharma, Kishan, Yadav, Varma, and Pandya all back in the hut—Samson anchored and accelerated, his 50-ball knock featuring relentless boundaries. The winning runs came via consecutive six and four, propelling India to 199/5.
The gesture from Yadav, hat off and head bowed, symbolized Samson’s meteoric rise. From a bench player overlooked despite flashes of brilliance against Namibia and dropped for Pakistan, to the linchpin of India’s survival. As the team marches to semifinals, Samson’s story underscores resilience and raw talent in high-stakes cricket.