Eden Gardens has seen chaos before. The low-scoring, nervy chase for India against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup in 2016. But this one had tension stitched alongside the jubilation of Sanju Samson.
Chasing 196 in a do-or-die Super 8 clash against the West Indies, India were not just playing for a semifinal spot. They were playing to avoid a collapse at home. And by the end of it, they had pulled off the highest successful run chase in their T20 World Cup history. Before this night, India’s best in a T20 World Cup chase was 173 against South Africa in Mirpur in 2014. So, India had never chased more than 175 runs in the T20 World Cups. Now, they needed 196.
Samson powers India to its highest chase in T20 WCs
Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 97 is the reason. He did not start in a frenzy. In fact, he did not face the first 10 balls of the innings. But once he settled, he owned the chase. He did not slog blindly. He took calculated risks. When the ball was there, he punished it. When it was not, he turned the strike over. Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya all played their parts, but this was Samson’s innings.
The West Indies dropped two chances. Dew made gripping the ball tougher. But those are footnotes. The defining image was Samson walking back, relief written all over his face. He kissed his bat in the dressing room. Washington Sundar greeted him first. Varun hugged him. Kuldeep and Rinku followed. Then Suryakumar Yadav bowed, with Gambhir embracing as well. It meant something. His 97* now sits just below Suresh Raina’s 101 in India’s highest T20 World Cup scores.
Highest successful chases in T20 World Cups
| Team | Score | Opposition | Ground | Year | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 230/8 | v South Africa | Wankhede | 2016 | 230 |
| South Africa | 208/2 | v West Indies | Johannesburg | 2007 | 206 |
| India | 199/5 | v West Indies | Kolkata | 2026 | 196 |
| U.S.A. | 197/3 | v Canada | Dallas | 2024 | 195 |
| West Indies | 196/3 | v India | Wankhede | 2016 | 193 |
India’s 199/5 now ranks third among the highest successful chases in T20 World Cup history. Incredibly, three of the five most successful run chases in T20 World Cup history have come in India. Two of them at the Wankhede Stadium, where India face England in the semi-final on March 5. India are now into their sixth T20 World Cup semifinal. Only Pakistan and England have reached as many.
Cricket
Sanju Samson pulls off a Virat Kohli with match-winning 97 to set up India vs England semifinal clash
