Irfan Pathan praised Sanju Samson’s knock, saying that the batsman reminded everyone of Virat Kohli with his knock against West Indies in the T20 World Cup 2026. Samson’s outstanding performance at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata caught the attention of the entire cricket community. On Sunday 1 March, the wicketkeeper-batsman led India to a decisive five-wicket win over the West Indies, scoring an unbeaten 97 off just 50 balls in a high-pressure Super 8 clash at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
India vs West Indies: Scorecard | Highlighting
The game itself was a tough chase, with India setting a target of 196 runs. Samson anchored the innings and ensured that 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 long innings after being fielded.
“Sanju Samson lived up to his ability with that innings. And that celebration at the end when he sat down and looked up and thanked God after the win showed how grateful he was. We talked about his batting, but let’s not forget that he kept wickets for 20 overs and then batted for 20 overs. That’s a testament to his fitness, which the players also handled brilliantly. Sanju also finished very well.” who have played such knocks before, especially Virat Kohli, though he has had his own ups and downs.”
“The innings he played here, the way he handled the ups and downs, was commendable. During the overs when he was batting at 20, 25, 28, I watched him closely as he paced his innings. When you are chasing almost 200, you have to produce a pure master class in the chase. We have seen this kind of master class from Visrat over the years. Kohli in Samli. is different player, he takes more risks and plays more big shots, which makes it even harder to control his game,” he added.
‘JUSTICE BY SAMSON’
Pathan said people will look back on the knock and talk about it for a long time to come.
“This was not ‘Justice for Sanju Samson’, it was ‘Justice for Sanju Samson’. That was the kind of innings he played for India against the West Indies. The knock that Sanju Samson produced has now become a story. When people look back at this World Cup campaign, these innings will be talked about in stories, how Samson absorbed all the pressure. If defending champions India had to reach the semi-finals and stay alive in the championship of the world, someone had to play a special innings. Samson did exactly that. The way he absorbed the pressure and took control of it was excellent batting,” said Pathan.
India will
– The end
Published on:
02 March 2026 15:55 IST
