Suryakumar Yadav's Gesture For 'World Class' Sanju Samson Wins Hearts. Gautam Gambhir Then Does This
India captain Suryakumar Yadav: Sanju Samson eventually fell agonisingly short of a century (97*), but his knock proved decisive as India sealed a place in the semi-finals.
- Sanju Samson, who slammed a 50-ball 97, orchestrated India's successful 196-run chase against West Indies
- India captain Suryakumar Yadav doffed his hat to acknowledge him as he was making his way to the dugout
- India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who called Samson "world class", greeted the veteran with a warm embrace
India captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir's gestures for Sanju Samson after the star wicketkeeper-batter powered the defending champions into the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup won hearts on social media. Samson, who slammed a 50-ball 97, orchestrated India's 196-run chase against former champions West Indies in what was deemed the virtual quarterfinal between the two sides. The 31-year-old slammed 12 fours and four sixes to set up a semi-final showdown against England in Mumbai on March 5.
As Samson was making his way to the dugout after getting the job done, India captain Suryakumar Yadav doffed his hat to acknowledge the veteran, who had been dropped for the Super 8 clash against South Africa last week-a match India lost by a comfortable margin. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, meanwhile, greeted Samson with a warm embrace. Both gestures have since gone viral on social media.
Suryakumar Yadav bowing down to Sanju Samson.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 1, 2026
- A beautiful picture from the Eden Gardens. pic.twitter.com/wf1ZphZ4HD
COACH GAUTAM GAMBHIR TIGHTLY HUGGING SANJU SAMSON #INDvsWI #SanjuSamson #T20WorldCup #T20WC2026 #HardikPandya #IshanKishan #TilakVerma pic.twitter.com/Jtkop0rPnf
— Somesh Jangra (@CelebrityGalax) March 1, 2026
Speaking after the match, Gambhir lavished praise on Samson, saying the wicketkeeper-batter stepped up when the team needed him the most.Â
"Sanju Samson is a world-class player; he stepped up for India when it was needed the most," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.
Samson eventually fell agonisingly short of a century (97*), but his knock proved decisive as India sealed a place in the semi-finals. This was, however, his first half-century after 12 innings.
Samson's score is the highest ever for India in a run chase in T20 World Cups surpassing Virat Kohli's unbeaten knocks of 82 against Australia in Mohali in 2016 and against Pakistan in Melbourne in 2022, respectively.
India's chase of 196 now stands at the highest successful chase in T20Is at this venue.
India Cricket Team
West Indies Cricket Team
Sanju Samson
Gautam Gambhir