In a remarkable display, India achieved a thrilling run-chase against West Indies, securing their spot in the semi-finals and eliminating their rivals from the T20 World Cup with a five-wicket win in their final Super 8s encounter.
A thrilling innings by Sanju Samson (97 not out off 50 balls), surpassing Virat Kohli’s previous record for the highest score by an Indian batsman in a T20 World Cup chase, clinched victory with 10 runs off the last two balls of the final over, matching the West Indies’ impressive total of 195 with just four deliveries remaining.
On Thursday, March 5th at 1:30pm (GMT), India will take on England in their T20 World Cup semi-final match in Mumbai, broadcast live on Sky Sports.
For a better video player experience, please utilize the Chrome browser. Sanju Samson achieved an impressive unbeaten score of 97, leading India to a five-wicket victory over West Indies, which secured a semi-final clash against England in the T20 World Cup.
For a better video player experience, please utilize the Chrome browser. Highlights from the T20 World Cup showcase India’s impressive victory over Zimbabwe by 72 runs, keeping their hopes alive for a spot in the semi-finals.
A late-order surge from Jason Holder (37 not out from 22 balls) and Rovman Powell (34 not out from 19 balls) bolstered the valuable contributions of captain Shai Hope (32 from 33 balls) and opener Roston Chase (40 from 25 balls), enabling West Indies to set a formidable target of 195-4 against India.
Hope’s side experienced a surge of optimism after dismissing the struggling opener Abishek Sharma (10 runs from 11 balls) and number three Ishan Kishan (10 runs from 6 balls). However, captain Suryakumar Yadav (18 runs from 16 balls) was caught out in the 10th over, placing the hosts in a challenging position.
The middle order of India stood strong, with Tilak Varma scoring 27 runs off 15 balls, which helped elevate the run rate. West Indies regretted Jason Holder’s missed catch of Hardik Pandya, who made 17 runs off 16 balls in the 16th over, as the fast-scoring no.6 formed a solid partnership with Samson.
The opener teamed up with a steady Shivam Dube (8 not out from 4 balls) to guide his team to victory, finishing his record-setting display with two boundary hits that thrilled the Kolkata audience.
England encounters well-known T20 World Cup rivals in India
For a better video player experience, please utilize the Chrome browser. Enjoy the full highlights from Colombo, where Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed led England to a four-wicket victory against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup.
India’s triumph today signifies that England will face India in a third consecutive T20 World Cup semi-final.
The two teams have faced off at this stage in the last two tournaments, with England dominating their opponents by 10 wickets in Adelaide in 2022, while India secured a 68-run victory for revenge in Guyana two years prior.
In both instances, the champions proceeded to claim the trophy, and India has arranged an eagerly awaited trilogy against Harry Brook’s team.
Just over a year has passed since India triumphed over England 4-1 in a bilateral T20 series, which wrapped up with a dominant 150-run victory at the Wankhede Stadium, the same venue where the teams are set to clash later this week.
In February of the previous year, India surged to a total of 247 for nine, driven by Abishek Sharma’s impressive 135, which surpassed the entire England team’s score as they were dismissed for a dismal 97.
India has triumphed in nine out of their last 12 T20 encounters with England, securing victories in five of the most recent six matches.
Samson: A truly remarkable day in my life
Hope: You always wish to remain at this point
Image: Captain Shai Hope of the West Indies (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Captain of the West Indies, Shai Hope:
"I believed we performed well in the tournament. Our ability to adjust to various conditions was impressive. Particularly, our bowling during the powerplay stood out. Akeal [Hosien] excelled, and [Gurkadesh] Motie also made a significant impact upon his return to the squad. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t secure the victory today.
"You never want to reach the conclusion at this point. Just one more match and we'd be in the semifinals, and if everything goes right, you'll find yourself in the final for the big event.
"We should acknowledge the boys’ efforts. We hold ourselves to high expectations. There’s no other option for us. We need to perform our best cricket on that day. We must seize the critical moments and make the most of them."
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