There are performances that win games, and then there are performances that define careers. On March 1, 2026, at a roaring Eden Gardens, Sanju Samson did both in one breathtaking night.
Chasing 196 against the West Indies in a virtual quarter-final, Samson’s stroke-filled 97 not out, 12 fours, four sixes, powered India to their highest-ever T20 World Cup run chase, winning by five wickets.
As the winning shot cleared mid-on, Samson dropped to his knees, looked heavenwards, and crossed himself. The kind of moment cricket fans remember for a lifetime.
Sanju Samson Breaks Virat Kohli’s Long-Standing T20 World Cup Chase Record
For nearly a decade, Virat Kohli owned the record for the highest score by an Indian while chasing in T20 World Cups, an unbeaten 82, achieved twice: against Australia in Mohali (2016) and against Pakistan at the MCG (2022).
On Sunday night at Eden Gardens, Samson wiped it out with his breathtaking 97*. The record now belongs to him, and the irony isn’t lost on anyone, given that Samson himself has always looked up to Kohli as a batting idol.
“I have not been playing, but looking from the dugout, learning from greats like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma. It’s very important to observe and learn.” — Sanju Samson
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India finished second in Super 8 Group 1 behind South Africa and will face England in the semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on March 5. If India go on to lift the trophy, this 97* will be remembered as the moment it truly turned, and the night Sanju Samson finally, fully, arrived.
