Sanju Samson played a fiery 15-ball 24 for India against Zimbabwe in a T20 World Cup Super 8 clash in Chennai on Thursday. This was Samson’s first match in the marquee event since playing against Namibia. Samson’s knock consisted of two sixes and one four as his brisk start took the pressure off fellow opener Abhishek Sharma. However, he fell in the fourth over to Blessing Muzarabani after being caught by Ryan Burl. It was a slower ball, and Samson could not time his slog-pull to perfection, sending it straight to deep mid-wicket. Ravi Shastri, on commentary duty, remarked: “He’ll be disappointed with that.”
India great Sunil Gavaskar offered a more detailed assessment. “He will be disappointed because he has got out so many times in that region. Everybody knows-bowl short, have a deep square leg. And again, it is the height of Muzarabani that allowed the ball to bounce a little bit more. That’s why it wasn’t quite off the middle of the bat. And so he got off to a very good start, 24 off 15. But he’s holed out in the deep once again. And India have lost their first wicket at 48,” Gavaskar said on-air.
Irfan Pathan commented that Sanju played an innings for the team.
India’s first-wicket average this World Cup was just around 7. lowest among all teams.
Today, Sanju Samson played exactly the way the team needed and helped put up India’s highest opening partnership of this World Cup.
He did the job.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 26, 2026
Star opener Abhishek Sharma struck a much-needed fifty-his first in this T20 World Cup-as the top order fired in unison to propel India to 176/3 after 15 overs in their must-win Super Eights clash against Zimbabwe.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who got a reprieve on eight, looked dangerous on 33 (13b; 2×6, 3×4) before falling in the 15th over, with Richard Ngarava providing the breakthrough.
At the 15-over mark, Hardik Pandya was on 12 (8b; 1×6), while Tilak Varma smashed his first ball for four as India eyed a 220-plus total.
Abhishek made 55 (30b; 4×4, 4×6), while Sanju Samson-who had featured in only one game earlier in the tournament, against Namibia-made an immediate impact after Zimbabwe opted to bowl.
Samson struck a brisk 24 off 15 balls (2×6, 1×4) as India registered their best opening partnership of the tournament: 48 off 23 balls.
After Samson’s dismissal, India did not lose momentum as Ishan Kishan, promoted to No. 3, made a quick 38 (24b; 4×4, 1×6) in a 72-run stand (42b) with Abhishek, maintaining a run rate of over 10.
Zimbabwe were sloppy in the field and dropped their second catch of the evening, giving Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav a reprieve on eight.
Ishan had earlier been dropped on 26.