Sanju Samson has been one of the great enigmas of Indian cricket, but when it came to the crunch, the wicketkeeper-batter produced the most important knock of his life to muscle India to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup.

In a gripping final Super Eight match of the competition, the experienced right-hander slammed a magnificent unbeaten 97, an innings of absolute authority and undisputed class, to carry India to a five-wicket victory with four deliveries to spare against a spirited West Indies at Eden Gardens on Sunday night.
Put in by Suryakumar Yadav on a terrific batting strip, the two-time former champions piled up 195-4, perhaps no more than par for the course, and must have felt they were in control when India lost Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan inside the first five overs with only 41 on the board.