IND vs WI Ball by Ball Commentary

FOUR! SANJU SAMSON DOES IT FOR INDIA! The Men in Blue are through to the semifinal of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2026. The roar at Eden Gardens is deafening. Sanju Samson drops to one knee in pure relief, gazes up at the heavens, and exhales a long, contented sigh. It’s another full-length delivery around middle, Sanju Samson gets forward and lofts it over mid on for a boundary. Even without getting it perfectly off the middle, he gets enough on it to clear the leaping fielder. INDIA WIN BY 5 WICKETS!

SIX! THAT IS A MIGHTY HIT! Shepherd misses his yorker and pays the price, slipping in a full-length delivery angled at the leg-stump line. Sanju Samson steps in and unleashes a beautiful whip, sending it soaring over mid-wicket with authority. SCORES ARE LEVEL.

Two leg byes! Good running. Full and angled at the pads, Shivam Dube fails to flick it away as he plays all around the line and wears on the front pad. The ball then trickles through the vacant mid-wicket region. With no fielder there, Shamar Joseph himself dashes across to chase the ball, but by then, the batters cross each other twice.

FOUR! Into the single digits now! Joseph goes for the yorker, but misses it and slips in a full toss outside off. Shivam Dube blasts it past the point region for a cracking boundary.

Very full, outside off, Dube squeezes it out to point. No run. Precious dot ball.

FOUR! What a shot! Sheer muscle power from Dube. Just shows how little the margin of error is. A low full toss on middle. Shivam brings the bottom hand to play and whips it powerfully between deep mid-wicket and long on for a boundary.

OUT! CAUGHT! Another twist and Holder ensures that there is no error this time around. Joseph misses his yorker, delivering a low full toss angling at the off stump line. Hardik Pandya, deep in his crease, shuffles slightly and lifts his front leg, aiming to heave it on the leg side. He can’t get under it and shuts the bat face early. Gets it sliced towards extra cover where Holder holds on to it.

A dot to kick off the 19th. Over the wicket, Shamar fires in a yorker that tails in and follows Hardik Pandya. Deep in his crease, Pandya does well to clear his front leg, but can’t squeeze it out.

On a length around off, Hardik Pandya flicks this towards deep mid-wicket for a single to close the over.

Low full toss, on middle and leg, Sanju Samson tucks this through mid on for a single.

FOUR​​! Sanju Samson, at it again. Back of a length wide of off, Sanju Samson hangs onto the back foot and cuts this through the backward point region for a boundary.

A tad too full, on middle and leg, Hardik Pandya flicks this through the square leg region and takes one.

Wide yorker, outside off. Hardik Pandya looks to get bat on ball but fails to do so.

Slower one, yorker on off, Sanju Samson tucks this through mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! Muscled away for a boundary. Pitched up, wide of off, Hardik Pandya steps across, digs deep, gets underneath the ball and smashes this over extra cover for four more runs. Strong core into this stroke from Hardik.

Full and wide outside off, Sanju Samson plays this late, opens his bat face and guides this to deep third for a single.

WIDE! Another slower one, way too wide outside off. Sanju Samson leaves it. Wide again.

Yorker, on middle and off, Hardik Pandya looks for the flick but gets it edged off the outside through backward point for a run.

WIDE! Fingers rolled over this short one, way too wide of off. Hardik Pandya leaves it. Wide given.

Full and on the pads, Sanju Samson leans ahead and flicks this through the backward square leg region for a single.

Full and wide of off, Hardik Pandya drives this to sweeper cover for a single.

DROPPED! Holder of all the people. That is what pressure makes one do. Short and wide of off, Hardik Pandya smashes this flat to the left of Jason Holder at extra cover but Holder fails to grab it and despite a couple of juggles he ends up dropping it.

WIDE! Full and way too wide of off, Hardik Pandya leaves it. Wided.

FOUR! Poor from Shamar Joseph and he gets the treatment! He fires one on the pads, but it is the low full toss and Sanju needs no second invitation to tickle it finer to the deep fine leg fence.

A low full toss angling into Hardik Pandya’s pads, and he whips it away to deep backward square leg for just a single.

Tries the yorker, but slips in a full toss, on off, Samson whips it through mid-wicket for a comfortable single.

Fullish ball, around off, Pandya caresses it to deep extra cover for a single.

WIDE! Sprays it down leg, full in length, Hardik gets inside the line to leave.

Slows it up, full and outside off, Hardik Pandya attempts to smash it away to the off side, but only gets a thick inside edge. The ball rolls into the square leg region and the batters cross for a single. With no fielder in the vicinity, they turn back for the second. But in the process Hardik collides with Joseph en route but completes the double in time. Both raise hands in apology in good spirits.

FOUR! Helped away! Not a good ball from Shamar with fine leg up in the ring. Errs it on the pads, full in length. Hardik Pandya uses the pace and flicks it to the left of the short fine leg fielder for a boundary. 150 UP FOR INDIA!

FOUR! Much needed for India! Outside off on a hard length, Sanju Samson stays put, throws his bat at it and square cuts it powerfully through cover and point for a boundary. That has travelled to the ropes at the rate of knots.

Back of a length outside off from over the wicket. Hardik presses forward, lifts his hands high, and pats it past the diving fielder at backward point for a single.

OUT! CAUGHT! A wicket against the run of play and it is Jason Holder again who provides a massive breakthrough for his side. Holder serves it outside off, and on a fuller length. Tilak Varma bends his back knee low and tries to smash it over the cover fielder, but fails to get underneath the ball nicely. Toe ends it flatly over the mid off fielder, but Shimron Hetmyer is alert to the situation as he times the leap nicely and takes a fabulous overhead catch. A good knock from Tilak comes to an end. India are 141/4 and need 55 from 32 balls.

FOUR! That has been CRRRRRRUNCHED! Holder goes full and wide again, Tilak Varma liberates his arms wide and spanks it over the cover fielder for a cracking boundary. He moves to 27 off 14 balls.

Full and outside off, Tilak slaps it away, but cannot get it past the cover-point region. 59 needed off 34.

Low full toss, on off, Sanju drills it straight down the ground for a single. Long off cuts it off to his right.

SIX! The Indian dugout can sense another semi-final, it feels. Tossed up, around off, Tilak Varma backs away and swings at it. Smashes this up and over the long on fence for a huge six. The equation might be asking the Indian side to go at 10 an over but the body language of the Indian players is gesturing that they are in total control at this point.

Excellent running between the wickets. A tad short around off, Tilak Varma cuts this to deep point for a couple of runs. Even the slightest of mix-ups might have gotten either batter in trouble but excellent communication between Sanju and Tilak converts this single to two.

Fired onto the pads, Sanju Samson nudges this through mid on for another strike rotation.

Darted into the batter, Tilak Varma tucks this through mid-wicket for a single.

Fired around off, Sanju Samson pumps this down to long off for a run.

FOUR! Too hot to handle is Sanju right now. Roston Chase comes around the stumps, bowls it full and wide of off, Sanju Samson plays this off his back foot and just guides this in the gap through backward point for a boundary.

Short and on off, Tilak Varma leaves it. Tilak was expecting a wide but the umpire calls it a fair delivery and that's what matters. 17 runs from the over.

FOUR! Make it three in a row and the Windies are feeling the pressure. Low full toss, on middle and leg, Tilak Varma clips this off his pads through square leg and was looking for two initially. Sherfane Rutherford rushes across to his left from deep mid-wicket and puts in a slide but because of the dew, he falls over and the ball goes underneath him for four.

FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries for Tilak. Slower one from Shamar Joseph, on a length, wide of off, Tilak Varma uses the depth of the crease, plants his back foot deep inside the crease and cuts this through the backward point region for four more.

FOUR! WOW... Gorgeous from Tilak Varma. Good length, around off, not that bad a delivery but Tilak Varma takes a good stride out in front, presents a full face of his bat, extends his arms and lofts this almost all the way for a biggie but the ball lands just inside and bounces over the long off fence.

Short and wide of off, Sanju Samson cuts this to the right of sweeper cover for a single.

FOUR! CRUNCHED! Pitched up, around off, Sanju Samson goes back inside the crease and smashes this straight past the bowler for a boundary down to the long off fence.

Chase does not leave the line of the stumps and lands it on a good length, following the batter on the leg stump. Tilak is cramped for space and bunts it back to the bowler.

Flat and short, sliding across off, Sanju Samson pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one more. Can Chase get out of the over safely?

In line of the sticks again, on a fractionally fuller length, Tilak turns it across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

So far, so good by Chase. Stump-to-stump line, on a good length, Varma punches it back to the bowler.

Darted on a length, on middle, Varma rocks back and punches it to cover.

From around the stump. A touch short, on leg, Sanju hangs back and nurdles it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Fires it on a straight line, full and on middle and leg. Sanju goes deep in the crease and knocks it down to long on for a single. Only 3 runs and a wicket from this over.

Much fuller and on the stumps, Samson drives it dead-straight and the ball crashes into the stumps at the non-striker's end.

Full and on middle, Sanju smacks it away, but straight to mid off.

100 UP FOR INDIA! Back of a length, around off, punched crisply in front of square on the off side for a single.

OUT! CAUGHT! That's a fabulous catch from Rutherford and Shamar Joseph breaks the partnership for the third wicket upon his introduction. A full-length delivery just outside off. Suryakumar stays leg side of the line and looks to pump it over cover, but doesn’t quite middle it. The fielder at deep backward point, Sherfane Rutherford, sprints to his left, dives forward, and pulls off a sharp low catch, despite the ball dipping on him. Suryakumar Yadav trudges off in disappointment and one can spot many glum faces in the crowd. India are 99/3, chasing 196.

Short of a good length, on middle and leg, Sanju tucks it off the back foot to deep square leg for a single.

Darted on the pads, Sanju Samson casually tucks this through mid-wicket for a single to end the over.

Quicker one, on off, Sanju Samson pushes this to the left of the bowler for no run.

FOUR! FIFTY FOR SANJU! A tad short and wide of off, Sanju Samson waits for it on his back foot and punches this through the cover-point region for a boundary to bring up his half-century. A scratchless innings from Sanju so far.

Full and on leg, Suryakumar Yadav flicks this to long on for a run.

DROPPED! Slice of luck for Suryakumar Yadav as Gudakesh Motie drops a caught and bowled opportunity. Full and on middle and off, Suryakumar Yadav looks to flick this down the ground but doesn't get right underneath it. Ends up hitting this straight back to the bowler. Motie only manages to get a bit of hand behind the ball before the ball deflects off his palm to mid on for no run.

Floated around off, Sanju Samson punches this in the gap through point for a single.

Hit too well for a single. Full and around off, Sanju Samson nails the off-drive to perfection but finds the foot of Romario Shepherd in the way. The ball deflects off Shepherd's foot to mid-wicket for a single. This also brings up the 50-run partnership between Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav.

In the channel from Romario Shepherd, around off, shaping a hint away after hitting the deck. Sanju Samson looks to work this around mid-wicket but the ball shapes away and the batter gets beaten. A polite appeal for caught behind from the Windies skipper but the umpire turns it down.

FOUR! A boundary to follow the biggie. Pitched up, around middle and off, Sanju Samson shuffles back and front and presents the full face of his bat at it. Punches this down the ground to the left of Gudakesh Motie at long on for a boundary. Samuel Badree on air informs that Samson has crossed the 40-run mark after 12 innings in this format.

SIX! Sanju at his very best. Slower one, in the slot around off, Sanju Samson takes a babystep in front and then goes back inside the crease to get a stable platform to swing from. Smashes this over the fence towards the left of long off for a biggie.

On a length around the pads this time. Suryakumar Yadav flicks this down to long on and rotates the strike again.

Full and on middle and off, Sanju Samson drills this down to long off for one.

FOUR! That's bread and butter for SKY! Motie errs in both, line and length. Pushes it full and down leg. Suryakumar Yadav brings the sweep shot and beats the diving short fine leg fielder to his left for a boundary. The partnership is now worth 37 runs between SKY and Sanju.

Drags the length back, on off, Sanju tucks it off the back foot to long on and gets an easy single.

Loops it up, full and on middle, SKY chips it on a couple of bounces to long on for a run.

Drifts back in from off, on a length, Suryakumar Yadav watchfully taps it to the cover-point region.

Full and around off, Sanju plays off the front foot and caresses it past mid off for a single.

FOUR! Up and over! A bit of loosener from Motie to start with. A half tracker, outside off. Sanju Samson stands tall and smashes it up and between cover and mid off for a boundary. Sanju moves to 34 (17). Striking at 200.

Short and slow, nipping in at head height. Sanju controls the pull shot along the ground. Gets a single at deep square leg.

Good length on off, Suryakumar Yadav pushes this down to long off for a strike rotaiton on the very first ball of the over.

SIX! A Surya special. Good length around off, SKY shuffles across the stumps and flicks this in a very Surya style for a biggie deep into the crowd towards the deep backward square leg region. This will give the Indian skipper and the fans a lot of confidence.

On a good length, on top of off, Sanju Samson lets the ball arrive and nudges it using soft hands to the widish mid-wicket region for a single.

FOUR! Swatted powerfully! Samson stands tall on this short ball, around off and takes a stride back to flat bat it to the right of mid off for a cracking four.

Slightly fuller and on middle and leg, Suryakumar whips off the inner half to deep backward square leg for a single.

Short and wide of off, Sanju Samson looks to play the square cut but ends up chopping this off the under-edge towards the keeper's left for no run. 53/2 off the first 6 overs.

Good length on middle and off, slanting back into the batter. Suryakumar Yadav milks this through mid-wicket for a strike rotation.

On a length, into the batter, on middle and leg. Suryakumar Yadav pushes this to the right of Matthew Forde in his followthrough.

LEG BYE! Good length, around the pads, Sanju Samson gets it brushed off his pads to square leg for a leg bye.

FOUR! A scratchy boundary for Sanju. Full and wide of off, Sanju Samson chases this and goes after it, looking to play the lofted drive. Gets it sliced off the outside of his bat and the ball lands beyond backward point and races away to the fence for four. 50 UP FOR INDIA!

Back of a length around the pads, Suryakumar Yadav tucks this along the ground to deep square leg and takes one.

WIDE! Forde errs in line and bowls one down the leg. Wide given.

Short and wide outside off, Suryakumar Yadav cuts this to deep point and takes a single.

TWO LEG BYES! On a length, drifting down the leg. Suryakumar Yadav goes for a flick but misses again. This time SKY gets it brushed off his thigh pad to fine leg for a couple.

WIDE! Good length, going down the leg. Suryakumar Yadav goes for a flick and misses. Wided.

Hard length, slanting into the batter, Suryakumar Yadav blocks this one.

OUT! CAUGHT! Shimron Hetmyer catches another one in the deep and India are 2 down for 41. Short pitched, around middle and off, Ishan Kishan takes on the boundary rider and goes for the pull. Doesn't hit from the middle of his bat and ends up finding the safest pair of hands for the Windies. Shimron Hetmyer moves a bit to his right at deep square leg and holds onto it.

FOUR! Pitched up, around middle and off, Ishan Kishan takes a babystep towards the pitch of the ball and lofts this up and over the fielder at extra cover for a boundary.

Short and wide of off, Ishan Kishan goes for the square cut but misses out.

Full and around the fourth stump, jagging back in. Kishan tries to drive it away to the off side, but inside edges it to the square leg region for a single.

FOUR! Whipped away! Slants back in from off to middle, on a fullish length. Ishan Kishan gets under the ball nicely and whips it over mid-wicket for a boundary on the bounce.

Full and in front of the sticks, Sanju Samson knocks it straight down the ground, to the left of mid on who makes a diving half-stop. A single.

Full and straight, around off, Sanju Samson gets on the front foot and drives it straight to the cover fielder.

From around the stump. This is bashed on the length, outside off, Kishan punches it through backward point for a single.

On a good length, nipping back in from middle. Sanju Samson plays off the back foot and wrists it to deep backward square leg for a single.

OUT! STRAIGHT UP THE CHIMNEY AND GONE! Deadly silence at the Eden Gardens and Abhishek Sharma's underwhelming run continues in this T20 World Cup. Hosein bowls from around the stump and goes short into the pitch, on the leg stump. Abhishek Sharma's eyes light up as he rocks back to pull but loses his shape completely in an attempt to hit it too hard. Only manages a fat top edge. The ball spoons high up over the square leg region. Shimron Hetmyer covers a lot of ground by running off the ropes. Tracks the trajectory nicely and takes a fine catch. India are 29/1, chasing 196.

In-angler, on a good length, around off, Sanju waits back and knocks it past the bowler's left for a single.

SIX! Powerful strike! Drags it down again on middle, Sanju Samson picks the length in a trice and with no intentions to keep it down, he pulls it perfectly over deep mid-wicket for a cracking six.

Drags it down and it cuts back in from off, Sanju Samson punches it off the back foot to cover.

SIX! Good hit! Too full, darted on the leg stump. Samson gets low and slog sweeps it behind deep backward square leg for a huge six.

FOUR! Scythed away! Sanju shuffles outside leg before the ball is delivered. Akeal lands it short, and outside off. Sanju Samson throws kitchen sink at it and smashes it past cover and backward point for a boundary.

Good length, slightly straighter, tucked away to deep square leg for one.

Gem of a delivery! Oh, and Sanju nearly gets knocked over first ball. The in-between length, outside off and Forde gets the ball to seam back in a long way. Sanju Samson plays all over the ball and gets beaten on the inside edge, as the ball just skims over the top of middle stump.

Short of a good length, over off, shovelled into the leg side for a single.

Bang on the helmet! Oh, that's skidded through as well. At just 128.4 kph, just back of a length and angled in from around off. Sharma hangs back to slog it away but the ball comes on quicker and rises up a bit more as well. Catches the top edge of the blade and smacks Sharma on the helmet. A mandatory concussion check will now follow.

Better line and length from Forde. On a good length, tighter around off, tapped down in front of cover-point.

WIDE. Hard length, wide outside off and shapes further away, Sharma has a waft at it but misses.

FOUR! Aerial but safe! Back of a length, angled in from around the wicket. Abhishek Sharma gets a bit rushed and gets the attempted pull high on the bat. The ball lobs well over mid-wicket and rolls away into the fence.

Tidy stuff from Hosein, barring that one ball. Flighted ball, angled across off, pushed wide of covers for a single. Five off the first over of the chase.

Length ball on off, sliding across, Sharma plays it on the up, sweetly too, but straight to cover.

No run there. Flatter one on leg, Sharma taps it across to the man in front of square leg.

Quicker one, full and fired across off, Abhishek Sharma swings across the line but the ball nips away and beats the bat.

FOUR! Up and over, and Abhishek Sharma is off the mark in style. Floated up, wide outside off, a real gift. Sharma extends the arms and lifts it over covers for a boundary to get the chase underway.

Starts with a full ball, straighter at the stumps, Abhishek Sharma watchfully blocks it back to the bowler.