India captain Suryakumar Yadav needed one of his players to stand up during the must-win clash against the West Indies in the T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday, March 1, and Sanju Samson obliged. Fittingly enough, right after the chase was done and as Samson made it back to the dugout, the Indian skipper showed his class by bowing down to the wicketkeeper-batter and then sending him a special message on Instagram.
India vs West Indies: Scorecard | Highlights
Samson played one of his best knocks in an Indian jersey as he remained in control during India’s tricky chase of 196 in Kolkata, remaining unbeaten on 97 off 50 balls. The hosts won the match by five wickets to book their spot in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2026 against England.
Suryakumar continued to praise his match-winner on Instagram stories as he affectionately called him ‘Chetta’ and had a special message for him.
“Good things happen to good people,” said Suryakumar to Samson.
WHAT WAS SURYA’S MESSAGE TO SAMSON?
Suryakumar was one of the main reasons why Samson was used as an opener during his purple patch in 2024, when he scored three T20I hundreds. Despite the wicketkeeper being in and out of the side in recent times, the Indian skipper’s faith in Samson never wavered.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Suryakumar said it was all down to Samson’s hard work and he was able to reap his rewards at the right time.
“I say it always that good things happen to good people who wait, who have a lot of patience. I said it just now to him (Samson). It is all his hard work, that he has been putting in when he was not playing and he is getting the fruit at the right time,” said Suryakumar.
India will be facing England in the second semi-final on March 5 at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
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