The 52nd showdown of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup between India and West Indies took place at Kolkata, with Sanju Samson unleashing a spectacular innings of 97 not out, securing India's win by 5 wickets and punching their ticket to the semifinals. This result marked the end of West Indies' campaign.
Winning the toss, Suryakumar Yadav opted to bowl first. West Indies set a target of 196 runs, which India chased down in the 20th over. Next, India faces England in the semifinals on March 5, in Mumbai.
Anatomy of India's Innings
Starting the chase, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma gave India a steady foundation. Abhishek departed on the last ball of the third over, scoring just 10 runs. In the 5th over, Ishan Kishan also fell cheaply with a score of 10. By the end of the 6th over, India was at 53-2. However, a remarkable partnership emerged between Captain Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson. Playing clever risk-free shots, they propelled the score close to 100 by the 10th over, with Samson reaching his fifty in merely 26 balls. India's score at the 10th over read 98-2.
The partnership broke at the 11th over when Captain Suryakumar was dismissed for 18. Subsequently, Tilak Varma joined Samson for another brisk partnership. Batting aggressively, Varma was dismissed for 27 off 15 balls in the 15th over, ending a 42-run stand.
The Thrill of the Final 5 Overs
Requiring 50 runs in the last 5 overs, the Hardik and Sanju duo was at the crease. Scoring 14 in the 16th over, India needed 36 off 24 balls. Sanju and Hardik added 11 more in the 17th over, leaving 25 required off 18 balls. With 8 runs in the 18th over, the target was narrowed to 17 off 12. Despite Hardik's dismissal in the 19th, India amassed 10 more, narrowing down to 7 needed from the final over. Sanju's calm saw India through with two balls to spare, sealing victory with a mighty 97 not out, including 12 fours and 4 sixes.
West Indies' Batting Recap
West Indies opened with Shai Hope and Roston Chase, offering a measured start. Bumrah, taking the 5th over, created a catch opportunity that was missed. After 6 overs, West Indies were at 45-0. Varun Chakravarthy struck in the 9th over, bowling out Hope for 32, giving India its breakthrough at 68. West Indies’ score stood at 82-1 after 10 overs.
Bumrah dealt the second blow in the 12th over, dismissing Hetmyer for 27 and removed Chase too in quick succession, who scored 40. In the 15th, Hardik Pandya struck to remove Rutherford, who made 14. Nonetheless, the partnership between Powell and Holder entertained, scoring rapidly. Their stand of 76 runs off 35 balls propelled West Indies to a score of 195-4 by the end of 20 overs.
India (Playing XI):
Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
West Indies (Playing XI):
Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph.
