In a match that had semi-final intensity written all over it, India powered past West Indies by five wickets at Eden Gardens, booking their T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal ticket. Sanju Samson lit up the Kolkata night with a breathtaking unbeaten 97, propelling India to victory and drawing rave reviews from cricket icon Sourav Ganguly.
‘Dada’ was effusive in his praise during a recent interview, calling Samson a ‘brilliant white-ball cricketer’ who must be a fixture in India’s limited-overs setup. He dissected the knock: facing a must-win scenario akin to a do-or-die quarterfinal, Samson set the platform early, accelerated ruthlessly, and finished unbeaten, troubling the opposition relentlessly once settled.
Ganguly emphasized Samson’s game awareness—judging the required rate, picking gaps, and punishing loose balls—which ultimately sealed the deal for Rohit Sharma’s successors under Suryakumar Yadav. This performance underscores why Samson, often a bench-warmer, deserves prime billing.
Turning to the bigger challenge ahead, Ganguly sounded the alarm on England. ‘They’re far stronger than West Indies; India can’t afford complacency,’ he advised ahead of the March 5 showdown at Wankhede. History favors India with 17 wins from 29 T20s, including a memorable 2024 semi-final demolition. Yet, England’s 10-wicket rout in 2022 lingers as a stark reminder.
With this being the third consecutive T20 WC semi clash between the arch-rivals, stakes couldn’t be higher. Ganguly’s verdict? India will triumph if they replicate today’s blueprint, with Samson leading from the front. The cricketing world watches eagerly.