Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan praised Sanju Samson’s match-winning knock after India registered a five-wicket win against the West Indies in the Super 8 clash of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Sunday.
Samson scored a brilliant knock of 97 runs off just 50 balls against the Windies in the run-chase of 196. The Indian opener smashed a dozen fours and four sixes in his magnum opus knock. Pathan said Samson’s maturity reminded him of Virat Kohli as the latter used to win such matches for India.
Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube Channel, “Sanju Samson did justice to his ability with this innings. And that celebration at the end, sitting down after the win, looking up and thanking God, showed how grateful he was. We’ve spoken about his batting, but let’s not forget, he kept wickets for 20 overs and then batted for 20 overs. That’s a testament to his fitness as well. Very well done, Sanju. The way he finished this innings reminded us of the great players who have played such knocks before, especially Virat Kohli, though this one had its own ups and downs.”
“The innings he played here, the way he managed himself through ups and downs, was commendable. During the powerplay, when he was batting on 20, 25, 28, I was closely watching how he was pacing his innings. When you are chasing nearly 200, you have to produce a pure masterclass in chasing. For years, we saw that masterclass from Virat Kohli. This was that kind of innings. Of course, Samson is a different player. He takes more risks and plays more big shots, which makes controlling his game even tougher,” he added.
Pathan said this knock will be talked about in stories as India was under the pump after losing early wickets.
“This was not ‘Justice for Sanju Samson,’ it was ‘Justice by Sanju Samson.’ That was the kind of innings he played for India against the West Indies. The knock Sanju Samson produced has now turned into a story. When people look back at this World Cup campaign, this innings will be spoken about in stories, how Samson absorbed all the pressure. If defending champions India had to reach the semifinals and stay alive in the World Cup, someone had to play a special innings. Samson did exactly that. The way he absorbed the pressure and took control of it, it was outstanding batting.”
India will take on England in the second semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Thursday.
