Former India cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly has fired a warning to Team India ahead of their T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final, and it has largely to do with Sanju Samson. The Kerala keeper-batter ensured that the co-hosts were through to the top four with his 97-run knock in the co-hosts’ final Super 8 fixture against the West Indies. Ganguly warned that while Samson must feature in India’s XI in the white-ball setup consistently, it was important for the Indiian batters to function according to the conditions.
Sanju Samson needed for clash vs ENG in T20 WC semis
Speaking after India’s win in Kolkata, Ganguly termed Samson’s knock as outstanding against West Indies. However, the former Indian skipper cautioned that India must be careful against England in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final, adding that they are a much stronger oppposition in comparision to the WI.
“He’s (Sanju Samson) a very good player. He should consistently play for India in the white ball. He is that sort of player; when he gets in, he will hurt the opposition. He played to the situation which is important. England will be a stronger opposition than West Indies. So the approach of Indian batsmen should be to play according to the conditions,” Ganguly said. “
Sanju Samson pulled off one of the best chases in India’s T20 World Cup history. The opener, who wasn’t even part of the team until the last game, has remained unbeaten on 97 as India chased down 196 runs against the West Indies to set up a semifinal against England on March 5 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Highest score for India in a T20 World Cup chase
- 97: Sanju Samson vs West Indies (2026)
- 82: Virat Kohli vs Pakistan (2022)
- 82: Virat Kohli vs Australia (2016)
- 79: Rohit Sharma vs Australia (2010)
- 78: Virat Kohli vs Pakistan (2012)
- 72: Virat Kohli vs South Africa (2014)
“Romance is good, realism is better. England bring depth, pace variations and big-match experience. India’s batters will need to read surfaces, manage phases and resist emotional overdrive. If Samson’s Eden Gardens masterclass was about belief rediscovered, the semi-final will be about belief sustained,” Ganguly added.
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