Sanju Samson Opens Up On Viral Celebration After Taking India Into T20 World Cup Semi-Finals
Sunday, March 1, 2026, will be a date that Sanju Samson will never forget in his life. The talented wicketkeeper-batter played the best knock of his international cricket career, and that too in a virtual quarter-final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026
Sunday, March 1, 2026, will be a date that Sanju Samson will never forget in his life. The talented wicketkeeper-batter played the best knock of his international cricket career, and that too in a virtual quarter-final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 against the two-time champions West Indies at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday - a performance that helped India enter the semis comfortably.
Samson's 97 not out off 50 balls came at a time when India needed exactly that kind of innings from the top order. He was under immense pressure going into this match, having spent most of the tournament on the bench and not having played any significant knock in the couple of matches he did feature in.
After taking India to victory, Samson fell to his knees, closed his eyes, and said a silent prayer.
"Very special moment. I am a great believer, and I want to keep it very private. And it's a very special moment for me," Samson said in an interview with Parthiv Patel on JioHotstar.
Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri hailed his composure, calmness, and batting prowess after the match.
"It is Sanju's special Samson today, and that innings was special, because just his calmness, his composure, and the sublime touch right through that innings," Shastri said on The ICC Review.
"This was not a league game. This was a knockout contest. People's expectations of Samson have been huge throughout his career. No one has questioned his talent, but they have been disappointed with his consistency. He brought everything to the fore today and made millions around the globe happy," Shastri added.
In the match, West Indies posted 195/4 after opting to bat, powered by contributions from Roston Chase (40), Shai Hope (32), Shimron Hetmyer (27), and an unbeaten 76-run partnership between Jason Holder (37*) and Rovman Powell (34*). India's bowlers were led by Jasprit Bumrah, who returned figures of 2/36.
In reply, India overcame an early setback before a series of partnerships guided them home. Sanju Samson played a key role in the chase, stitching crucial stands with Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, as India sealed a five-wicket victory to progress further in the tournament.
"He is a world-class player. We all know how good a player Sanju is. I actually thought that he never accelerated the innings. It was just very, very normal cricketing shots, and I never saw any muscling of the ball as well, and that is the kind of talent he has," head coach Gautam Gambhir said after the victory.
India Cricket Team
West Indies Cricket Team
Sanju Samson