India scripted their highest successful run chase in the T20 World Cup in a virtual quarterfinal clash against West Indies at the Eden Gardens on March 1. Sanju Samson remained unbeaten on 97* to deny the West Indies and help India clinch the final semifinal berth of the tournament.
The Men in Blue chased down West Indies' mammoth total of 195/4 with five wickets and four balls to spare courtesy a special innings from Samson, who was only brought back into the side in the previous game against Zimbabwe.
The win sees India leapfrog West Indies on the points table to seal their berth in the semifinals. The defending champions will face England at the Wankhede stadium on March 5.
Here's a look at the top performers from the virtual quarterfinal clash at the Eden Gardens:
1) Sanju Samson - 97* (50)
Having only returned to the side in the last game, Sanju Samson entered his name in the record books with an unbeaten 97 off 50 deliveries, powering India's biggest-ever chase in T20 World Cup history.
The wicketkeeper-batter carried his bat through the innings in a commanding Player of the Match performance. His knock was decorated with 12 fours and four sixes, highlighting both placement and power, and came at a strike-rate of 194.
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Samson also secured a personal record, surpassing Virat Kohli for the highest individual score by an Indian batter in a run chase at a T20 World Cup. Kohli had remained unbeaten on 82 runs from 51 balls against Australia in Mohali in March 2016 and also scored 82 against Pakistan in the 2022 edition.
2) Roston Chase - 40 (25)
Roston Chase provided West Indies with the early momentum, scoring 40 off 25 balls at a strike-rate of 160. He struck five fours and a six, setting the tone in the powerplay.
Alongside Shai Hope, Chase stitched together a 68-run opening stand that briefly put India on the back foot. His innings ended when Jasprit Bumrah induced a false stroke, with Suryakumar Yadav completing a sharp catch.
3) Shimron Hetmyer - 27 (12)
Shimron Hetmyer contributed with a blistering 27 off just 12 balls. His cameo included two sixes and came at a dizzying strike-rate of 225, briefly threatening to fire the Windies to a much larger total.
Hetmyer's power-hitting has been a defining feature of this campaign. He hit two maximums taking his tally up to 19 sixes in the tournament, which is now is the highest by a batter in a single edition of any T20 World Cup.
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