IND vs ENG: Sanju Samson Wanted to Give His ‘Player of the Match’ Award to Jasprit Bumrah

Samson played a 89-run innings with 7 sixes and 8 fours in 42 balls. Meanwhile, he shared a 97-run partnership in 45 balls with Ishan Kishan for the second wicket.

Sanju Samson, India vs England, T20 World Cup 2026: India secured a 7-run victory against England in the second semi-final match played at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, thanks to a blistering innings from explosive wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson. With this win, Team India has reached the final for the fourth time. Samson was adjudged 'Player of the Match' for his stellar 89-run knock. However, Sanju stated that he wished to dedicate this award to fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.

Samson played a fiery innings of 89 runs

Batting first after losing the toss, the Indian team scored 253 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. In response, England scored 246 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their stipulated overs. In this match, Samson scored 89 runs off 42 balls, including 7 sixes and 8 fours. During this, he shared a 97-run partnership off 45 balls with Ishan Kishan for the second wicket.

Samson took extra time and played a long innings

After India's victory, Samson said, "It feels great. To be honest, I felt in the previous match itself that my form was returning, so I thought it was important to continue it. It's not easy to regain form in important matches for the country, so I thought I should make the most of my batting in a big game. I gave myself a little extra time and progressed my innings with a bit of thought. I had prepared well and things went my way. I got a bit of luck at the start, but after that, I wanted to maintain the momentum."

Speaking about the pitch, Samson said, "Playing at Wankhede Stadium, we know that no score is safe here, so I was trying to score as many runs as possible. Even a score of 250 can be chased here, and England also batted very well. I think their style of play also deserves full credit, and it was indeed a fantastic semi-final."

Dedicated his award to Bumrah

He added, "We have to assess the conditions correctly. We have played many matches at Wankhede. I am very happy with how the team performed today. Full credit also goes to Jasprit. Bumrah is a world-class bowler, and such a bowler comes once in a generation. I think he did exactly that today. This award should actually go to him. If we hadn't bowled like that in the death overs, I don't think I would be standing here. All the credit goes to the bowlers. They maintained their belief in themselves in difficult situations."

Samson further said, "Playing at Wankhede is an incredible experience. You don't bat thinking about scoring a century here; it just happens while playing. You just have to play aggressively consistently. I am very happy to contribute to the team." The Indian team will play the final match against New Zealand on March 8 at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.