Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif hailed Sanju Samson after India claimed 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. Chasing a competitive total of 196, Samson scored a match-winning knock of 97 runs off just 50 balls to take his team over the line.
The Indian opener smashed a dozen fours and four sixes in his magnum opus knock and scored his runs at a strike rate of 194. Samson showed all the maturity and didn’t throw away his start. The Kerala batter also became the first Indian batter other than Virat Kohli to win a Player of the Match in the run-chase of more than 160 in a T20 World Cup game.
With this win, India was also able to book their semifinal berth in the ongoing T20I showpiece. Kaif said India was forced to rethink about their playing combination after the heavy loss against South Africa.
Kaif said on his YouTube channel, “Credit, in a way, goes to South Africa for defeating India badly, because that made the team rethink the combination. With six left-handed batters in the top eight, it felt that Sanju deserved a chance. He was brought in out of necessity, and then came this historic innings that has taken India into the semifinals.”
“In World Cup history, a 195-run target had never been chased before. India had previously managed chases around 160, with Virat Kohli playing a key role on those occasions. Now, after Kohli, it is Sanju Samson who has achieved this landmark, scripting history with a remarkable 195-run chase. What makes it even more special is that this was a player who had been on the sidelines throughout the World Cup, carrying drinks, dropped from the XI, sitting out.”
Kaif highlighted that Samson had the experience to take his team over the line as he has more than 8000 runs in domestic cricket.
“Why do I say he deserves it? Because he has more than 8,000 runs in domestic cricket in T20s. He has been playing and scoring in this format for years. And here too, look at how composed he was. The required run rate was 10, but he was calmly hitting boundaries, taking singles, walking between the wickets without any visible tension. From the first ball to the last ball, he was in his zone, completely in control of the chase. He knew he could do it.”
“After waiting so many years for a World Cup opportunity, he was determined to make it count. He stayed not out and finished the match. In my opinion, this innings was destined to come from his bat. There may be delays in life, but justice is never denied. Everyone eventually gets a chance to show what they are capable of. And this innings, played at the historic Eden Gardens, is something no one will forget,” he added.
India will take on England in the second semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Thursday.
