Sanju Samson created history by setting multiple records as he continued his brilliant form in the 2026 T20 World Cup during the semifinal against England at Mumbai's iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday (March 5). The star opener made a knock of 89 runs in just 43 balls to set up the stage for the Men in Blue to post a mammoth total of 254 runs on the board.
Samson was awarded the Player of the Match (POTM) award for the second match in a row. Earlier, he was the star of India's nervy win in the virtual quarter-final against the West Indies by five wickets with an unbeaten knock of 97 in 50 balls as India chased down 196 in a last-over thriller.
Samson has scored 16 sixes in the 2026 edition despite playing only four games and being benched for four of India's first five games in the tournament. This is the most by an Indian player in a single edition and broke a record set by Rohit Sharma in the victorious 2024 campaign.
Samson's knock of 89 is also the joint-highest individual by an Indian batter in a knockout game alongside Virat Kohli (against West Indies in 2016). This is also the most runs a wicket-keeper batter has made in either the semifinal or final of the competition in history. Previously, Jos Buttler (80 against India in 2022) held the record.
Only Jacob Bethell (106 vs India in 2016), Finn Allen (100 vs South Africa in 2026), and Tilakaratane Dilshan (89 vs West Indies in 2009) have made more runs a knockout game in the 19-year history of the competition than Samson.
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Aayush Kataria is a Senior Copy Editor at Times Network with four years of experience, having started his career in the organisation. He is a key memb...View More
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