Darling from Kerala! Sanju stars as India storm into semi-finals

KOLKATA: The moment fans had been waiting for finally arrived at Eden Gardens, as India defeated the West Indies cricket team by five wickets to enter the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.

Chasing a target of 196, India rode on a brilliant innings from Sanju Samson, who smashed his first-ever T20 World Cup half-century. He reached the milestone in just 26 balls and powered India to victory with a stunning knock that included four sixes and 12 fours in 50 deliveries.

Chasing a target of 196, India rode on a brilliant innings from Sanju Samson, who smashed his first-ever T20 World Cup half-century. He reached the milestone in just 26 balls and powered India to victory with a stunning knock that included four sixes and 12 fours in 50 deliveries.

Earlier, after winning the toss, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav opted to bowl first. West Indies posted a competitive 195/4 in 20 overs. Captain Shai Hope (32) and Roston Chase (40) gave a solid start. Later, Rovman Powell (34*) and Jason Holder (37) added crucial runs at the end. For India, Jasprit Bumrah picked up two wickets, while Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy took one each.

India had a shaky start in the chase, but Sanju steadied the innings with aggressive stroke play. He built a key partnership with Suryakumar Yadav to put India back on track and guided the team to a memorable win.