Star batter Sanju Samson played the knock of his life during India’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash against the West Indies on Sunday, March 1. The Men in Blue sealed their semifinal berth with a five-wicket victory at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Batting first, the West Indies posted a challenging total of 195/4. India lost Abhishek Sharma (10) and Ishan Kishan (10) early and were under some pressure. While they kept losing wickets at one end, Sanju Samson held fort at the other end, ensuring they remained in the chase throughout.
Sanju Samson stayed till the end and finished the game, scoring an unbeaten half-century, as the Men in Blue got over the line in 19.2 overs. They will be up against England in the semifinal, just two matches away from successfully defending their title.
It was one of the best knocks in the tournament so far. Having said that, let us take a look at the top five highest individual scores by an Indian batter in T20 World Cup history.
#5 Suryakumar Yadav
India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, is fifth on this list with an unbeaten 84 against the USA in the ongoing edition. In India’s opening group stage match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai against the USA, Suryakumar led from the front.
India were in trouble at 77/6 batting first. The skipper raised his hand and played a brilliant knock, scoring an unbeaten 84 off just 49 balls with 10 fours and four maximums at a strike rate of 171.42 to take them to a match-winning total of 161/9. It was enough for them to work with as India won by 29 runs in the end.
#4 Virat Kohli
In the semifinal of the 2016 T20 World Cup, star batter Virat Kohli played a memorable knock at the Wankhede. He scored an unbeaten half-century, making 89* off 47 balls, including 11 fours and a six at a strike rate of 189.36. His innings powered them to a solid total of 192/2 batting first.
Unfortunately for India, the West Indies chased the total down in 19.4 overs with seven wickets to spare, bringing the campaign to a heartbreaking end for the hosts.
#3 Rohit Sharma
Former T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma played a stunning knock in a Super 8s match against Australia at Gros Islet in the 2024 edition. Batting first, India posted a huge total of 205/5. With an aggressive intent, Rohit led the way at the top.
He slammed 92 runs off just 41 balls with seven boundaries and eight maximums at a strike rate of 224.39. India not only went on to win the game by 24 runs but also won the tournament and are thus the defending champions.
#2 Sanju Samson
Chasing 196 against the West Indies in a high-pressure do-or-die Super 8s clash in the T20 World Cup 2026, Sanju Samson produced his best after going through ups and downs with his form and career.
Saving the best for the big stage, Sanju Samson smashed an unbeaten 97 off just 50 balls with 12 fours and four maximums at a strike rate of 194, anchoring the chase and also accelerating when required to maintain the balance. It is also the highest individual score by an Indian in a run chase in T20 World Cup history, surpassing Kohli’s unbeaten 82.
#1 Suresh Raina
Former India all-rounder Suresh Raina holds the record for the highest individual score by a batter from the country in T20 World Cup history. He had slammed a brilliant century against South Africa in the 2010 edition at Gros Islet.
Raina made 101 runs off just 60 balls with nine boundaries and five maximums at a strike rate of 168.33. He is the only Indian batter with a century in the T20 World Cup to date. Sanju Samson got close with his unbeaten 97, but could not get to the three-figure mark.
Edited by Rishab Vm