SANJU SAMSON’s unbeaten 97 helped India defeat the West Indies by five wickets in Kolkata on Sunday and book a T20 World Cup semi-final against England.
Chasing 196 in the final Super Eights match, India reached the target with four balls to spare at Eden Gardens in front of 67,000 spectators.
After being asked to bat, the West Indies scored 195-4, adding 70 runs in the last five overs. India lost two early wickets in reply but kept up with the required rate.
Samson, opening for the second straight match, scored 97 off 50 balls with 12 fours and four sixes.
India were 41-2 when Samson was joined by captain Suryakumar Yadav (18). The pair added 58 runs for the third wicket.
Tilak Varma then scored 27 off 15 balls before being dismissed in the 15th over, with India at 141-4 and needing 55 more runs.
Samson continued at the crease. Hardik Pandya made 17 before getting out, but India completed the chase to seal the win.
"It means the whole world to me," Samson said. "Right from the day I started playing, started dreaming to play for the country, I think this is the day I was waiting for."
Samson said he learned the art of finishing matches "from the greats like Virat Kohli, from Rohit Sharma."
Earlier, Jason Holder and Rovman Powell shared an unbroken 76-run stand for the fifth wicket to lift the West Indies total.
The West Indies promoted Test captain Roston Chase to open with T20 skipper Shai Hope. That allowed them to include an extra spinner in Akeal Hosein, with regular opener Brandon King left out.
In their previous defeat to South Africa, the West Indies were 83-7, but this opening partnership provided a steadier start.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy bowled Hope for 32.
Shimron Hetmyer made 27 off 12 balls before edging Jasprit Bumrah, leaving the score at 102-2.
Chase scored 40, and Sherfane Rutherford was dismissed before Powell and Holder accelerated late in the innings.
Powell was unbeaten on 34 from 19 balls with two sixes and three fours. Holder finished not out on 37 from 22 balls with three sixes and two fours.
"Maybe a few short, especially on a chasing ground such as this," said a disappointed Hope. "Probably could have gone a bit more at the end. Probably could have got more at the start as well."
India dropped three catches, including one when Chase was on 15.
Earlier on Sunday, South Africa beat Zimbabwe by five wickets to remain unbeaten in the tournament and will face New Zealand in the first semi-final in Kolkata on Wednesday.
The final will be held in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
