Sanju Samson scored an unbeaten 97 to lead India to a five-wicket victory over West Indies in a T20 World Cup match that effectively served as a quarter-final, securing India's place in the semi-finals and eliminating West Indies. Chasing a target of 196, Samson's innings guided the co-hosts to victory with four balls to spare, setting up a semi-final clash with England in Mumbai on Thursday.
West Indies, put in to bat first, posted 195 for 5 thanks to Roston Chase's 68 off 53 balls opening the innings with Shai Hope, who scored 32 off 33, and a late flourish from Jason Holder and Rovman Powell, who added 76 off the last 35 balls. However, West Indies were undermined by Hope's slow scoring and three dropped catches.
India and England will meet in the semi-finals for the third consecutive T20 World Cup, with the winner having gone on to win the title in the previous two tournaments. England won their 2022 encounter in Adelaide, while India prevailed in Guyana two years ago.
The other semi-final, scheduled for Wednesday, will see New Zealand face South Africa. South Africa secured top spot in their Super 8s group by defeating Zimbabwe by five wickets in Delhi, continuing their perfect record against New Zealand in T20 World Cup encounters.
The tournament's scheduling has faced criticism, with the final round of group fixtures not played simultaneously, leading to uncertainty for teams like England, who had to wait two days to learn their semi-final venue. India, as co-hosts, benefited from knowing their semi-final would be in Mumbai unless they faced Pakistan.
