Samson dedicates Player of the Match award to Bumrah after India's semi-final triumph: ‘Once in a generation'

Team India made it to the final of the T20 World Cup for the second successive time on Thursday, beating England by seven runs in a high-scoring semi-final that witnessed nearly 500 runs being scored. Sanju Samson led the way with a brilliant  89 off 42 deliveries, smashing his second consecutive half-century and winning successive Player of the Match awards as India posted a humongous 253/7 on the board, going past 250 for the second time in the ongoing tournament.

Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya would then star with the ball, their superb death bowling ensuring fellow two-time champions England were restricted to 246/7 in reply. Jacob Bethell’s brilliant 105 off 48 nearly got Harry Brook’s men over the line but it was the Men in Blue who held their nerve under pressure and qualified for their fourth T20 World Cup final.

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Samson credits Bumrah-led attack for India’s victory

And despite starring with the bat, Samson insisted that the credit for the victory should go to Bumrah – the most economical bowler of the evening with figures of 1/33 from 4 – and the rest of the bowling department.

“Feels great, I knew I got some form going from the last game. I thought I need to make the most out of my form, gave myself extra time. We know no score is stoppable, wanted as much as possible. England came close, played really well. Good semi-final. You need to assess conditions, we’ve played a lot of cricket here, know chasing is easier. But the way myself and Ishan was batted, we knew 250 should be possible. Very happy,” Samson said in a chat after India’s victory.

“All credit goes to Bumrah, once in a generation. Think this award should go to him. Unbelievable feeling to play here, we wanted to put in a positive result. Hundred doesn’t matter, it’s not a Test or an ODI game where you can go up and down. Happy to get whatever I’m getting and in a winning effort,” the keeper-opener added.

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India face New Zealand in an ICC event final for the second consecutive time, having defeated them by four wickets in the summit clash of last year’s Champions Trophy in Dubai.

New Zealand had made it to their second T20 World Cup final in the last five years, having comprehensively thrashed South Africa by 9 wickets in the first semi-final in Kolkata.