India have booked a blockbuster T20 World Cup semi-final clash with England after completing their highest-ever successful chase in the tournament, defeating West Indies by five wickets at Eden Gardens. Chasing 196 in a winner-takes-all Super 8 encounter in Kolkata, India were anchored by a scintillating, chanceless 97 not out off 50 balls from Sanju Samson.
While Samson’s explosive knock, featuring 12 fours and four sixes, dazzled the Kolkata crowd, India head coach Gautam Gambhir saw it simply as an extension of the batter’s pure, unadulterated talent. “I actually thought that he never accelerated the innings. It was just very normal cricketing shots,” Gambhir noted in the post-match press conference. “I never saw him muscling the ball, and that is the kind of talent he has. I’ve always said that he’s a world-class player and a great talent. We always knew that whenever we needed him in a World Cup game, he’d come and deliver for us.”
Samson’s level-headed approach was exactly what India required after a sloppy fielding display earlier in the day allowed West Indies to post a competitive 195 for 4. Despite Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliant spell to dismiss Roston Chase (40) and Shimron Hetmyer (27), unbeaten late cameos from Rovman Powell (34*) and Jason Holder (37*) set a steep target.
Yet, according to Gambhir, the dressing room remained completely unfazed. Praising Samson’s composure under immense knockout pressure, the head coach emphasised that elite tournaments are won in the mind.
“Come the big games, the knockout games, the World Cups, it’s all about mental strength, not just skill,” Gambhir explained. “You don’t change skill in one week or two days. It’s about how much you can absorb the pressure. Today was a great sign that we were able to absorb the pressure.”
Samson was not acting alone. He built a crucial, nerve-settling partnership with Suryakumar Yadav before Tilak Varma injected momentum with a rapid 27 off 15 balls. However, Gambhir was quick to highlight the unsung moments of the chase, specifically pointing to Shivam Dube’s brief but vital intervention before Samson struck the winning runs off Romario Shepherd.
“For too many years we’ve only spoken about certain contributions,” Gambhir pointed out. “This is a team sport. Shivam’s two boundaries were just as important as Sanju’s 90. If we hadn’t hit those boundaries, we probably wouldn’t be talking about the 90. Big contributions make headlines, but small contributions help the team cross the line.”
Interestingly, Gambhir revealed that navigating these high-stakes chases relies far more on gut feeling than the numbers crunched in the dugout. Unapologetic about his old-school approach, he dismissed heavy reliance on modern analytics.
“I don’t believe in data, honestly. I absolutely do not believe in it because I feel T20 cricket is more about instinct, backing your instincts and the state of the game,” Gambhir stated, drawing a smile and a hot-mic quip about his video analyst being unhappy with him.
With the victory securing the runners-up spot in Group 1 behind South Africa, India now shift their focus to Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where Jos Buttler’s England await in Thursday’s semi-final.
When asked if the team are peaking at the perfect time following back-to-back wins against Zimbabwe and West Indies, Gambhir’s response was characteristically blunt.
“I don’t believe in all this ‘peaking at the right time’ stuff. You’ve got to win every game when you represent the country,” he concluded. “We turn up representing 1.4 billion Indians, so we want to win every possible game. We will need a special effort to beat a quality side like England.”
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