On a night scripted for Sanju Samson, it was captain Suryakumar Yadav who delivered the final, unforgettable stroke, not with the bat, but with a gesture that stirred the soul. As ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’ thundered across the Eden Gardens stands and the iconic venue transformed into a cathedral of noise, Suryakumar’s gesture echoed the sentiments of billions of Indians worldwide, producing a spine-tingling moment for the ages.
Perpetually under scrutiny, and after going for years under the radar, Samson finally rose above the noise to produce a masterclass in Kolkata on Sunday. He carved out an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls to single-handedly carry India past the target of 196 and book a T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal ticket.
As Samson punched the winning shot over the fielder at mid-on for a boundary, he sank to his knees to thank heaven above, in what he later described as a “private celebration”, before shaking hands with the West Indies players and making his way towards the dressing room, where jubilant Indian teammates awaited their hero.
Suryakumar led the celebrations by tipping his cap to Samson and bowing down to him for his chase masterclass, before the opener was hugged by Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya and the rest. However, the moment that caught the attention of social media was elevated further as the 65,000 in attendance at Eden Gardens sang ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’ in unison.
Asked to bat first, West Indies executed a clear attacking blueprint as they rode on Roston Chase’s foundation before unleashing a late assault through Rovman Powell (34 not out off 19 balls) and Jason Holder (37 not out off 22 balls) to post an imposing 195 for 4.
In response, India’s in-form batters faltered under pressure. But Samson never looked flustered. He took his time through the early phase and batted through the chase with poise and authority to carve out a magnificent knock that helped India reach 199 for 5 in 19.2 overs.
It was only his third appearance in a T20 World Cup across two editions. He was unfortunate not to get a game during the 2024 edition and played just one group-stage match this year when Abhishek Sharma was ruled out with a stomach infection. However, he returned to the fray after South Africa exposed India’s frailties. He played a handy cameo against Zimbabwe last week before becoming the defining figure, striking 12 boundaries and four maximums in India’s chase against West Indies in the Super 8 on Sunday.
India will take on England in the second semifinal of the World Cup in Mumbai on Thursday.
