Former Pakistan paceman Mohammad Amir has once again stirred up the debate during the ongoing T20 World Cup, this time admitting that Sanju Samson played the knock of his life while claiming that India are still not playing good cricket.
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Amir, who had earlier predicted that India would not make it to the semi-finals, found himself at the receiving end of social media criticism after India beat West Indies by five wickets at the iconic Eden Gardens on March 1 to book their place in the last four.
Despite the result, Amir did not completely back down from his assessment.
“You said they proved me wrong. Look, credit should be given where credit is due. Sanju Samson played the best innings of his life. I have seen his knocks in the IPL and other matches, but this innings – and that too in a do-or-die, knockout game – was special,” Amir said on Haarna Mana Hai, surprising even the host of the show.
Samson’s unbeaten 97 came under immense pressurewith India chasing a dismal 196 in front of over 65,000 fans. On a night when the Indian batsmen failed to capitalize on the starts, Samson held the innings together and timed his acceleration perfectly to guide the team to 199 for 5 in 19.2 overs.
However, Amir maintained that one outstanding performance does not hide bigger problems.
“But if I analyze it purely from a cricketing point of view, India is not playing good cricket overall. I keep telling you – just check how they are fielding. They dropped three to four catches and fumbled in the field. Except for Bumrah, every other bowler is getting hit. India is playing on the strength of a single bowler,” he added.
Earlier, West Indies executed a clear plan of attack after being asked to bat. Roston Chase laid the foundation before Rovman Powell (34 off 19 balls) and Jason Holder (37 off 22 balls) launched a late onslaught to send a challenging 195 for 4.
Samson’s innings not only secured India’s place in the semi-finals, but also silenced critics questioning his temperament in big games.
India will now face England in the second semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium on March 5 for a place in the T20 World Cup final. Whether Amir’s prediction about India’s overall form holds true will be tested again on the big stage.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
March 02, 2026 09:02 IST
