Staring at a daunting 248-run chase against West Indies here, Sanju Samson single-handedly took over the Powerplay. He raced to a 20-ball half-century and looked primed to repeat the heroics at this venue from two years ago, when his century saw India fall just three short of hitting the 300-run mark.
While West Indies’ disciplined bowling did the job, it was Shai Hope’s ton which laid the foundation for the visitor’s 24-run win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
After a string of dismissals left the Indian chase in troubled waters, a resurgence from local boys Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar gave India hope before things eventually fell apart.
“When Tilak and (Nitish Kumar) Reddy were batting, we were still in the game. That is a great thing to have actually, even after losing five wickets, having that kind of control, two young cricketers taking on the pressure and taking on the West Indian bowling line-up,” the Indian opener said after the 4th T20I.
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Samson rued that his own enterprising knock did not come in a winning cause.
“I am actually a bit gutted. I definitely wanted to be on the winning side. When you are chasing a score like that, there are no second thoughts – you just have to back your instincts, your power game, and that is what I did. So I really enjoyed the knock, but I would have liked to be on the winning side.”
While he believes stiff chases often render anchors obsolete, Samson lauded Shai Hope going against the grain and marshalling the Windies with big scores.
“Hope is playing really well. We need to respect what he has been doing. He has been playing some really good cricketing shots, not taking that much risk, so he is respecting the bowlers as well.”
Published on Oct 15, 2026