Sanju Samson yet again proved how valuable he is for India in the shortest format as he smacked a brilliant 89 off 42 balls in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. Samson's breathtaking knock comprised of eight fours and seven sixes. The opener ensured that he sent the ball flying to every corner of the ground.
Samson's innings at Wankhede comes on the back of an equally thrilling innings of 97 not out off 50 balls in a must-win game against the West Indies in the Super 8 stage. It has now become a habit for Samson to come up with special knocks when the team needs a player to step up.
The 31-year-old has made the most of the limited opportunity that has come his way. At the start of the tournament, Samson was only used as a stop-gap arrangement as he was drafted into the playing XI against Namibia in place of an ailing Abhishek Sharma.
Situations did not alter how Samson approached his innings as his brief cameo of 22 off 8 balls including one four and three sixes gave India the platform to achieve a big total. India eventually ended up with a score of 209/9. Considering the late collapse that India suffered, Samson's runs were crucial in getting India over 200.
Heading into the match against Zimbabwe, India were under serious pressure. The Men in Blue had been battered by South Africa in their first match of the Super Eight stage. In order to keep their title defence alive, India had no other option but to beat Zimbabwe.
Considering Zimbabwe had beaten Australia and Sri Lanka earlier in the tournament, they weren't to be taken lightly.
Samson wasn't at his effervescent best this time around but he made sure runs did come from his bat. The batter played a patient knock of 24 off 15 balls. India scored 256/4 and ended up winning the match by 72 runs.
What has stood out in Samson's batting in this World Cup is the ease with which he clears the boundary. He has just played four innings and has hit 16 sixes - the fourth most in the tournament. He ranks behind Finn Allen, Shimron Hetmyer and Sahibzada Farhan, all of whom have played more innings than him.
Samson always had to fight hard for his place in India's playing XI. But whenever he has got a chance he has grabbed it with both hands.
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