Sanju Samson delivered one of the most emotional moments of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after guiding the India national cricket team to a dramatic victory over the West Indies cricket team in a must-win Super 8 clash at Eden Gardens. Moments after smashing the match-winning boundary, Samson removed his helmet, sank to his knees, folded his hands and looked skyward in gratitude.
It was a deeply personal celebration that reflected the rollercoaster journey he has experienced in international cricket over the past few months. The wicketkeeper-batter’s unbeaten 97 powered India to a thrilling five-wicket win while chasing a daunting target of 196. His innings, filled with controlled aggression and elegant strokeplay, ensured India booked their place in the semifinals of the tournament. Sanju Samson later described the celebration as a very personal moment.
“Very special moment. I am a great believer, and I want to keep it very private. And it’s a very special moment for me,” Sanju Samson said during his interaction with JioHotstar.
WATCH – Suryakumar Yadav Tips His Hat To Sanju Samson After Match-Winning 97 vs West Indies
The 29-year-old also admitted that the chase wasn’t as straightforward as it looked on paper. Despite the favourable batting conditions at Eden Gardens, losing wickets at regular intervals made the task significantly tougher for India.
As soon as Sanju Samson smashed a match winning SIX, just look at the Celebration of Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Jay Shah 💥
– Most trolled and most hated Sanju Samson delivered at the biggest stage 👏🏻#INDvsWI pic.twitter.com/tYJmi4fxwC
— Fan Account Richard Kettlebourogh (@RichKettle07) March 1, 2026
CELEBRATION BY SANJU SAMSON 🥹♥️ pic.twitter.com/Aiu8mYdmhj
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 1, 2026
This shot and celebration of Sanju Samson will be remembered for ages. 🥶🔥#INDvsWI pic.twitter.com/KQiGmDesI6
— Rohan💫 (@rohann__45) March 1, 2026
“It was a bit of a difficult chase. Looking at our batting power, I felt that chasing 190-odd at Eden Gardens, when dew comes in, gets a bit easier, but losing wickets at regular intervals made it challenging,” Sanju Samson explained.
He revealed that once he got set, his focus shifted from playing freely to finishing the game for the team.
ALSO READ: Fans Praise Sanju Samson As His Blazing Fifty Keeps India Reach Semi-Final
“To be honest, that’s where my experience and my role played a big part. I got a good start, but when the wickets kept falling, I felt I needed to finish the game and take it till the last moment,” he said. Sanju Samson also highlighted how his approach changed while chasing under pressure. “When you are batting first, you want to set up a big score and hit a lot of sixes. But when you are chasing a score like this in a pressure game, you take different options and play more boundaries rather than looking at risk-taking options,” Samson added.
India will now face the England cricket team in the semifinal at Wankhede Stadium as they aim to move one step closer to defending their T20 World Cup title.
