India secured the final semifinal berth of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a commanding five-wicket victory over the West Indies cricket team in a virtual quarterfinal clash of the Super Eight stage on Sunday.
Chasing a challenging target of 196, the hosts reached 197 for 5 in 19.2 overs at Eden Gardens, eliminating the Caribbean side from the tournament.
India suffered early setbacks as openers Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan both departed for 10 runs each inside the powerplay. However, opener Sanju Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav steadied the innings with a crucial 58-run partnership for the third wicket, keeping the required run rate under control.
Suryakumar was dismissed for 18 off 16 balls, caught by Sherfane Rutherford off Shamar Joseph. Tilak Varma added a brisk 27 off 15 deliveries, while Hardik Pandya chipped in with 17 from 14 balls.
Samson anchored the chase brilliantly, remaining unbeaten on 97 off just 50 balls, an explosive knock featuring 12 fours and four sixes. Shivam Dube supported him at the end with an unbeaten 8 as India crossed the finish line with four balls to spare.
Earlier, West Indies posted a competitive total after being invited to bat first by Suryakumar Yadav. The Caribbean openers gave their side a strong start, adding 68 runs for the first wicket. Captain Shai Hope scored 32 off 33 balls, while Roston Chase struck a fluent 40 from 25 deliveries.
Shimron Hetmyer contributed a quick 27 off 12 balls, and Sherfane Rutherford made 14 from 9. A late surge from Rovman Powell (34 off 19) and Jason Holder (37 off 22 not out) saw West Indies post a formidable total.
For India, Jasprit Bumrah was the standout bowler, claiming three wickets for 36 runs in his four overs. Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy picked up one wicket each.
With this victory, India advance to the semifinals as the last qualifying team, while West Indies bow out of the tournament after a spirited campaign.
