Sanju Samson delivered one of India’s finest T20 World Cup innings, smashing an unbeaten 97 off just 50 balls to guide India to a dramatic five-wicket victory over the West Indies cricket team at Eden Gardens in Mumbai.

The home side finished on 199 for 5 in 19.2 overs in response to the West Indies’ competitive total of 195 for 4 in 20 overs. The win kept India’s title defence alive and secured a semifinal clash against the England cricket team.

After being sent in to bat, a surprise move from the West Indies to replace opener Brandon King with Akeal Hosein saw Roston Chase open the batting, and he made the most of the opportunity with a fluent 40 off 25 balls. Captain Shai Hope contributed 32, though he struggled for rhythm before being dismissed by spinner Varun Chakravarthy. They contributed a 68-run opening partnership.

West Indies Shimron Hetmyer in action against Bangladesh during a ICC Cricket World Cup match at the County Ground, Taunton, Britain on June 17, 2019.Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs, file

Shimron Hetmyer added a quickfire 27, but India fought back through Jasprit Bumrah, who removed both Hetmyer and Chase in quick succession. When Hardik Pandya dismissed Sherfane Rutherford, the West Indies were under pressure at 119/4 in the 15th over.

However, a strong unbeaten partnership between Jason Holder with 37 from 22 balls, inclusive of three sixes and two fours, and Rovman Powell 34 off 19 balls, inclusive of three fours and two sixes, lifted them to a challenging total, though disciplined death bowling from Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh prevented them from crossing 200.

In reply, India began aggressively, but early wickets left them briefly unsettled. Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan fell cheaply despite a brisk start. From there, Samson took control.

He reached his half-century off just 26 balls and maintained relentless pressure on the bowlers, striking boundaries with authority. A key 58-run partnership with captain Suryakumar Yadav steadied the innings, and later support from Tilak Varma kept India ahead of the required rate.

When wickets fell late, and 17 runs were needed from the final 10 balls, the tension rose among the 50,000-plus crowd. But Samson remained composed.

After Shivam Dube reduced the equation in the penultimate over, Samson fittingly finished the match in style, smashing Romario Shepherd for a six and a four at the start of the final over to seal victory with four balls to spare.

Samson’s match-winning knock not only highlighted his power and composure under pressure but also reaffirmed India’s credentials as defending champions. The thrilling contest lived up to its billing and set the stage for a high-stakes semifinal encounter against England.