Irfan Pathan heaped praise on Sanju Samson’s knock, saying that the wicketkeeper-batter reminded everyone of Virat Kohli with his knock against the West Indies in T20 World Cup 2026. Samson’s outstanding performance at Eden Gardens in Kolkata has drawn attention across the cricket community. On Sunday, March 1, the wicketkeeper-batter led India to a crucial five-wicket victory over the West Indies, scoring an unbeaten 97 off just 50 balls in a high-pressure Super 8 clash at the T20 World Cup 2026.
India vs West Indies: Scorecard | Highlights
The game itself was a challenging chase, with India set a target of 196 runs. Samson anchored the innings, ensuring India reached the total with four balls to spare. His performance included 12 boundaries and four sixes. Pathan described the innings as a masterclass in chasing under pressure. The former all-rounder also praised the wicketkeeper’s fitness to play the long innings after fielding.
“Sanju Samson did justice to his ability with this innings. And that celebration at the end, sitting down after the win, looking up and thanking God, showed how grateful he was. We’ve spoken about his batting, but let’s not forget, he kept wickets for 20 overs and then batted for 20 overs. That’s a testament to his fitness as well. Very well done, Sanju. The way he finished this innings reminded us of the great players who have played such knocks before, especially Virat Kohli, though this one had its own ups and downs.”
“The innings he played here, the way he managed himself through ups and downs, was commendable. During the powerplay, when he was batting on 20, 25, 28, I was closely watching how he was pacing his innings. When you are chasing nearly 200, you have to produce a pure masterclass in chasing. For years, we saw that masterclass from Virat Kohli. This was that kind of innings. Of course, Samson is a different player. He takes more risks and plays more big shots, which makes controlling his game even tougher,” he added.
‘JUSTICE BY SAMSON’
Pathan said that the people will look back at the knock and will be talked about for a long period of time.
“This was not ‘Justice for Sanju Samson,’ it was ‘Justice by Sanju Samson.’ That was the kind of innings he played for India against the West Indies. The knock Sanju Samson produced has now turned into a story. When people look back at this World Cup campaign, this innings will be spoken about in stories, how Samson absorbed all the pressure. If defending champions India had to reach the semifinals and stay alive in the World Cup, someone had to play a special innings. Samson did exactly that. The way he absorbed the pressure and took control of it, it was outstanding batting,” said Pathan.
India will
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