India’s Jasprit Bumrah (ANI Photo)

Ahead of India’s highly anticipated T20 World Cup final against the New Zealand national cricket team in Ahmedabad, Jasprit Bumrah has received glowing praise from one of fast bowling’s greatest names, James Anderson. The former England pacer, who became the first fast bowler in history to reach 600 Test wickets, hailed Bumrah’s extraordinary skill set and described his bowling as something truly unique. India head into the summit clash riding high on momentum, and Bumrah has been a key contributor during the knockout stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. In the semi-final against the England cricket team at the Wankhede Stadium, the Indian speedster produced a crucial spell at the death. With the match turning into a high-scoring thriller, Bumrah conceded only 14 runs in his final two overs. That tight finish proved decisive as India posted 253 and held on to secure a narrow seven-run victory.Also See: India vs New Zealand Live Score T20 World Cup 2026

Before that, Bumrah had also played a decisive role in India’s must-win clash against the West Indies cricket team at the Eden Gardens. In a crucial over, he dismissed both Shimron Hetmyer and Roston Chase, preventing the Caribbean side from posting an even bigger total and keeping India firmly in the contest. Speaking on a BBC podcast, Anderson admitted that Bumrah’s ability is so exceptional that other bowlers may struggle to replicate what he does. “The thing about Bumrah is, I look at him and think, I don’t think you can learn anything from him. Like, he’s an absolute freak. There’s not one bowler in the world in any format, men or women who can bowl six yorkers out of six and absolutely nail it every time. Even one of the yorkers, he bowled [vs England] in his last over was a slow ball. So he’s nailed five fast yorkers and one slowball yorker, like you can’t hit them anywhere,” Anderson praised Bumrah effusively. Anderson also pointed out that England’s batters handled Bumrah as well as they possibly could, choosing to play him cautiously rather than risk going after him. The veteran also felt that players like Jacob Bethell and Sam Curran made the right call by simply trying to survive Bumrah’s overs rather than target him. “England did really well to get six [balls] off the hole, like they squeezed the ball out. They actually played it pretty well because they thought we know that we can’t get boundaries off it or it’s going to be really hard to get boundaries off him. “So we’ll just take our chances against the other two at the other end. And they saw at the end Shivam Dube bowl in the last over went for 22 with Jofra Archer smacking him. I know the game was gone then, but he was trying to bowl a yorker and was missing by a decent amount. So it’s just a ridiculous skill. There’s no one or certainly in T20 cricket, there’s no one better than him,” Anderson explained. With praise of this magnitude coming from a fast-bowling legend like Anderson, Bumrah will head into the final brimming with even more belief as India look to lift the T20 World Cup trophy.

Sourav Ganguly (BCCI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former India captain and current Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly described Sanju Samson’s match-winning 97* as “outstanding” and termed him a “very good player” after the wicketkeeper-batter powered India into the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a crucial win over West Indies in a must-win Super 8 clash.Samson smashed an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls as India chased down a stiff 196-run target to secure a five-wicket victory in the do-or-die encounter, guiding Suryakumar Yadav’s men into the last four.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Ganguly heaped praise on Samson and underlined that the Kerala batter deserves consistent opportunities in India’s white-ball setup.“Outstanding. He’s a very good player. He should consistently play for India in the white-ball,” Ganguly said.With both India and West Indies tied on points in the Super 8 standings, the Kolkata fixture effectively turned into a knockout, with the winner advancing to join South Africa, New Zealand and England in the semifinals. India’s victory set up a last-four clash against England on March 5.Ganguly termed the India-West Indies encounter a virtual quarterfinal and lauded Samson’s composure, stressing how dangerous he can be once he settles in.“You know, when he gets in, he’ll hurt the opposition. He played to the situation which is important,” Ganguly added.Looking ahead to the semifinal against England, the former India skipper noted that the Three Lions would pose a tougher challenge than West Indies.In the match itself, India won the toss and opted to field. West Indies openers Roston Chase (40 off 25 balls, five fours and a six) and captain Shai Hope (32 off 33 balls, three fours and a six) added 68 for the first wicket. However, despite a quickfire cameo from Shimron Hetmyer (27 off 12 balls, one four and two sixes), the hosts slipped to 119/4 in 14.1 overs.A late onslaught from Jason Holder (37* off 22 balls, two fours and three sixes) and Rovman Powell (34* off 19 balls, three fours and two sixes) saw the duo stitch together a 76-run stand in just 35 balls, lifting West Indies to 195/4 in their 20 overs.Jasprit Bumrah (2/36 in four overs) was India’s standout bowler, while Varun Chakaravarthy and Hardik Pandya claimed one wicket each, conceding 40 runs apiece in their four-over spells.In reply, India were rocked early, reduced to 41/2 inside the powerplay. A 58-run partnership between Samson and Suryakumar Yadav (18) steadied the innings and revived the chase. Samson then combined effectively with Tilak Varma (27 off 15 balls, four boundaries and a six), Hardik Pandya (17) and Shivam Dube (8*) to guide India home with five wickets in hand, sealing a memorable win and a semifinal berth.

Sanju Samson plays a shot during the T20 World Cup Super 8 match against West Indies. (ANI Photo)

KOLKATA: Sanju Samson has warmed the India benches more often than he would have liked in his decade-long international T20 career. The India opener’s talent has never been in doubt, just that he hasn’t always utilised the opportunities that have come his way.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!On Sunday at the Eden Gardens, another such opportunity landed in the 31-year-old’s path and this time, he wasn’t found wanting. Samson’s commanding unbeaten 97 (50b, 12×4, 4×6) formed the backbone of India’s five-wicket win over the West Indies, and the ride taking his team into the ongoing T20 World Cup semifinals.

England are up next for Suryakumar Yadav’s men, the final two steps that remain in their climb towards a historic title defence.It was quite apt that Samson sealed it with a punch over mid-on.A target of 196 may seem daunting on the face of it, but when the chase is on a flat track and driven by batters who are capable of delivering, it doesn’t seem all that challenging. That India made it look a little turbulent was primarily because Samson was waging a lone battle for most of the innings. A 58-run stand with Surya (18) had Samson as the dominant partner. The 42 he added with Tilak Varma (27, 15b, 4×4, 1×6) was more on equal terms. Similar with Hardik Pandya (17) who survived a sitter.The constant in all these partnerships was Samson, who displayed his array of shots, packing enough punch behind them. This innings is surely among the most memorable that Samson has played, if not the defining one.Earlier, the West Indies once more showed their tendency of falling apart when things seem to be going perfectly for them. Yet, the discovery of this tournament is that they also have the batting depth to fight back. Jason Holder and Rovman Powell produced that fightback when the West Indies innings was in trouble.Opening with Shai Hope and Roston Chase, they were off to a reasonable start, if not a flier.A powerplay of 45 without any loss looked to be the kind of platform they could build on, of course with a little help from Abhishek Sharma, who dropped a simple chance from Chase off Bumrah when the batter was on 14. Losing Hope, who wasn’t as fluent as Chase, in the ninth over at the score of 68 meant West Indies still held the upper hand.Hope’s 32 off 33 balls would be disappointing for an opener who had the advantage of powerplay. Chase was a lot more aggressive for his 40 and Shimron Hetmyer kind of made up for the lost ground with a rocking 12-ball 27. However, his innings proved to be just a cameo, being dismissed to the faintest of an edge.That was in Bumrah’s second over and the innings’ 12th. He accounted for Chase in the same over and suddenly the West Indies innings seemed to be falling apart. It was then that Holder and Powell came together to script a recovery. Their unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 76 came in just 35 balls. Holder (37*, 22b, 2×4, 3×6), an asset to have in the lower order, continued from he had left against South Africa. Powell (34*, 19b, 3×4, 2×6) showed once again that his calm demeanour masks a fiery batter within.The duo, struck at the India bowlers, the best of them, Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy, going for 36 and 40 respectively.

KOLKATA: It’s a straightforward knockout contest now and number crunching over net run-rate is no longer required. India just have to beat West Indies at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday to make the semifinals of the T20 World Cup. The West Indies are in the same position but punters would advise you to put your money on India. Yet, fingers will remain crossed.The statisticians might still be called upon for calculations in the unlikely scenario of Zimbabwe beating South Africa, but that will only be to decide the group toppers. South Africa are well ahead in that race too. India’s blip against South Africa was a timely reminder that Suryakumar Yadav and his men have to be on their toes all the time. South Africa in fact, also showed that the West Indies, in spite of their recent successes, continue to have a streak of inconsistency that makes them so unpredictable. This Caribbean tendency will also keep India on the alert. One false step can make a huge difference.

Abhishek Sharma’s return to form against Zimbabwe was good news for India, even though the opener wasn’t as free flowing as he normally is. The occasional caution during his half-century indicated that doubts might have crept into his mind following a string of poor scores. Even Tilak Varma would have overcome some uncertainties during his 16-ball 44 against the same opponents. Both will be aware that the West Indies will pose stiffer challenges.

Given Varma’s struggles against spin, facing the likes of Roston Chase, Gudakesh Motie and Akeal Hosein can be tricky. India might continue with the leftright opening combination of Abhishek and Sanju Samson, even though the latter didn’t really utilise the opportunity against Zimbabwe to the full. This combination does help in throwing the rival bowlers off their line.Talking about bowlers, Jaspreet Bumrah will once again be the pacer to watch. As soon as he steps on the Eden turf, he will be reminded of his 5 for 27 in the South Africa Test here last Oct. Despite the dryness of the pitch, Bumrah’s spell could well be a deciding factor. Bumrah has been very economical in the tournament so far, giving away just 90 runs in five matches. His accuracy has been one of India’s biggest advantages.

Of course, the West Indies have batters who can prove to be troublesome for India. Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford would need a little time to settle and can turn out to be threats. Skipper Hope is quite uncharacteristic as a Caribbean batter. His shots are much more orthodox and his aggression is calculated. He is capable of molding his innings as per the situation, a quality that might be required at the Eden.They also have a long batting lineup, with Jason Holder and Romero Shephard producing brilliant innings against South Africa coming at No. 7 and 9. The West Indies are a cohesive lot this time around and their players have iterated they are enjoying the dressing room atmosphere. They have played two matches here during the tournament.

West Indies’ players after their win against Zimbabwe. (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former India captain Anil Kumble believes West Indies have shown they possess the qualities needed to win the T20 World Cup at the business end, while warning that India now face a difficult road to the semi-finals after their heavy defeat to South Africa.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!West Indies sent a strong message to the rest of the field with a dominant 107-run demolition of Zimbabwe, piling up a staggering 254/6 before bowling their opponents out for 147. The performance impressed Kumble, who said the Caribbean side demonstrated a clear understanding of how to succeed in knockout-style situations.

“The West Indies understand what it takes to win at this stage of the tournament. The left-arm spinners were outstanding. Gudakesh Motie bowled brilliantly. In this format, finger spinners often try to stay away from the batter’s hitting arc, but Motie and Hosein were different,” Kumble said on JioHotstar.He also singled out Shimron Hetmyer’s explosive 34-ball 85 as the turning point. “Shimron Hetmyer has long been a finisher and knows how to clear the boundaries. He has the power and the temperament. What stands out is that he doesn’t settle for quick cameos of 20 or 30. He converts them into substantial scores. Had he fallen for 30, perhaps the West Indies wouldn’t have reached 254,” Kumble explained.

Kumble added that Rovman Powell’s calculated assault made the total even more formidable. “Powell is again a proven power-hitter. He took his time initially, but once he settled, he was unstoppable.”Turning to India’s situation, Kumble admitted the margin and manner of their loss to South Africa had made things complicated. “Every game counts at this stage. India suffered a significant loss… The key question now is whether they can bounce back strongly.”He stressed that India must now win big. “India needs to win convincingly, much like the West Indies did… The primary focus should be on winning both matches.”

West Indies players in Mumbai. (AP Photo)

MUMBAI: “The team is in a good space,” a confident West Indies coach Daren Sammy said on the eve of their Super Eights Group 1 match against Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Sammy was in a happy mood on Sunday afternoon as his players trained in the nets for close to two-and-a-half hours. West Indies topped their group by winning all four matches, with different players contributing at key moments.

The Men-in-Maroon may have found the going tough in Tests and ODIs, but their calling is T20 cricket as their players are some of the hottest properties across major franchise leagues all over the world. They have won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016. But their form has dipped in the last two editions as they have managed to win only two matches in 2022 and 2024. Their build-up to the World Cup also included series defeats to New Zealand, Nepal,Afghanistan and South Africa.Back in India, where West Indies won their last title in 2016 with Sammy as captain, the team is in a happy space as their players are familiar with the conditions due to most of them playing in the IPL. The Windies have also shown the needed mental toughness to secure wins in a format where there is little to separate teams. The two-time champs have been content with the underdogs tag and have progressed smoothly through a tricky group in which every team has won at least one match.Their secret sauce has been different players putting in match-winning performances during the group stage. Shimron Hetmyer (64, 36b) and Romario Shepherd (5/20) helped them beat Scotland. Shepherd, who missed the last two games due to injury, was available for the Zimbabwe match. Sherfane Rutherford (76*, 42b) and a collective bowling effort led by Gudakesh Motie (3/33) helped them defeat England. Jason Holder (4/27) and Shai Hope (61*, 44b) starred in a win over Nepal, before Hope (74, 46b) and Shamar Joseph (4/30) helped them beat Italy.

Zimbabwe also enter the Super Eights in strong form after topping their group, including wins over Australia and Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. They missed qualification for the last edition but have arrived in India with confidence. Zimbabwe, along with the showing of the emerging nations, have been the flavour of the tournament with the neutrals warming up to their exploits. Led by inspirational captain Sikandar Raza, they have found matchwinners like the young Brian Bennett, who is yet to be dismissed in the tournament and played crucial innings in the wins over Australia and Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe’s bowling has been a key strength too, with Blessing Muzarabani leading with nine wickets so far, supported by Graeme Cremer and Brad Evans.West Indies and Zimbabwe last played against each other in the 2022 edition in Australia, with West Indies winning by 31 runs. Zimbabwe’s challenge though will be adapting quickly to conditions at the Wankhede, which has offered assistance to the bowlers.

West Indies’ Shimron Hetmyer celebrates his fifty (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Shimron Hetmyer produced a blistering knock to propel West Indies to a competitive 182 for 5 in their second T20 World Cup match against Scotland at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Saturday. The left-hander smashed 64 off just 36 deliveries, anchoring the innings after a shaky start. Scotland arrived at the tournament amid unusual circumstances, having been drafted in only two weeks earlier after Bangladesh pulled out of the competition, citing security concerns over travelling to India. Despite the short notice, the Scots showed early discipline after winning the toss and opting to bowl.

Their bowlers kept two-time champions West Indies in check during the Powerplay, applying pressure with tight lines. Brandon King was the first to break free, launching Safyaan Sharif for a six and two fours in the seventh over to inject momentum. King eventually made 35 before Scotland struck back. Off-spinner Michael Leask provided the breakthrough, dismissing captain Shai Hope for 19. Soon after, debutant left-arm spinner Oliver Davidson claimed his maiden T20 wicket when King was caught at backward point. Hetmyer then took charge of the innings, launching a fierce counterattack against the Scottish bowling. He cleared the ropes six times and stitched together a rapid 81-run partnership off just 37 balls with Rovman Powell, who contributed 24. Hetmyer raced to his half-century in only 22 balls, bringing it up with a six. It was the fastest fifty ever scored by a West Indies batter in a T20 World Cup. Although Powell fell during the closing overs, the aggression did not drop. Hetmyer continued to find the boundary alongside Sherfane Rutherford, who struck a quick 26 from 13 balls. Hetmyer’s innings ended when Safyaan Sharif forced a miscued hit that was brilliantly caught by Brandon McMullen at long-on. Rutherford departed on the first ball of the following over. Left-arm seamer Brad Currie was Scotland’s most economical bowler, finishing with figures of 2 for 23. Reflecting on his innings, Hetmyer admitted the conditions were testing. “It was good and bad, because of how hot it was. I don’t know about anybody else, but I asked the umpire, he said he didn’t feel it as much, but I guess getting back to playing in a day-night,” he said. Speaking about his partnership with Powell, Hetmyer highlighted the clarity in approach. “It was just batting with a clear mind really. Every ball pitched up, you could take a chance and if not just try to limit dot balls, that’s something that we speak about as a group and as a batting unit as well. To limit the dot balls as much as possible. And because we are a boundary hitting team, everyone knows that, but it’s just the singles and the dot balls where we kind of fall short just a little bit and it’s nice that it came off in our favour today.” Hetmyer also credited improved fitness for his performance. “I would like to think so (fitter). At home I did some work. I have my trainer which is my wife at home that kind of pushes me to go the extra mile and so far, it’s been working out quite well and I’m just happy to be on the park and contributing to the team as much as I can.”