
T20 World Cup: Sanju Samson gains 25 places in ICC T20I rankings. (Courtesy: PTI)
Eden’s 97 is Sanju’s career a turning point ,On Wednesday, March 4, India’s opener Sanju Samson moved up 25 spots in the ICC men’s T20I batting rankings. Sanju’s outstanding performance against the West Indies is immediately followed by the ranking boost.
Following his incredible century against the West Indies in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, India opener Sanju Samson has seen a significant increase in his T20I rankings. Samson has risen 25 spots in the ICC men’s T20I batting rankings after scoring a game-winning 97* is Sanju’s career a turning point and to advance India to the tournament’s semifinal.
Eden’s 97 is Sanju’s career a turning point . After his game-winning innings of 97 against the West Indies, Sanju’s significance in the Indian team has abruptly grown. Sanju was cut from the starting lineup at the start of the competition, and the rest of the team is attempting to learn from him. Before the semi-final matchup with England, he is like a maestro. particularly for a newcomer. In front of the media on Wednesday, Morkel stated as much.
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Samson’s incredible 97* against West India

India’s Sanju Samson celebrates after scoring the winning runs. | Photo Credit: K R DEEPAK
In India’s crucial Super 8s encounter against the West Indies, the opener delivered a stunning innings. At the Eden Gardens, Samson dominated the innings from the outset and assisted the hosts in chasing a goal of 196 runs, the highest in T20 World Cup history. This Eden’s 97 is Sanju’s career a turning point .
Samson stayed undefeated at 97* off 50 balls without trying to overhit the ball. In Kolkata, he blasted 12 fours and 4 sixes while maintaining composure in the face of wickets tumbling all around him.
Eden’s 97 is Sanju’s career a turning point . Samson, who had been left off the team at the beginning of the competition, had a fortunate break when India had to switch up their lineup because of the terrible performance of their left-handers. After joining the team, Samson had an instant effect against Zimbabwe in Chennai, and he continued to play well in Eden.
ICC t-20 ranking jumps 25 places
After hitting Eden Gardens 97 runs against West Indies in the T20 World Cup, Sanju Samson is being hailed as the hero. He is also being considered by the Indian team for Thursday’s semi-final matchup with England. Prior to the pivotal encounter, Sanju’s game-winning effort was acknowledged by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Eden’s 97 is Sanju’s career a turning point . Sanju has jumped 25 places in the ICC T20I batsmen rankings. With 549 rating points, Sanju is now at number 40. The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman has moved up this much in the rankings thanks to his match-winning innings against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens.

Ahmedabad: India’s Sanju Samson during a practice session before an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and South Africa, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (PTI Photo/Gurinder Osan) (PTI02_20_2026_000402B)
Abhishek Sharma has maintained the top spot in the rankings despite his two World Cup defeats. He has an 874 rating. Second on the list is Sahibzada Farhan of Pakistan. He’s advanced one position. He has an 848 rating. Phil Salt of England has dropped to third position. The rating for England’s wicketkeeper-batsman is 803. Ishan Kishan of India is ranked fourth. He’s advanced one position. Ishan has a score of 783. In the standings, Pathum Nishank is ranked fifth. The cricket player from Sri Lanka has dropped one place to 766.
There are two other people in the top ten besides Abhishek and Ishan. In sixth place, Tilak Verma is one spot ahead. His score is 749. In eighth place, Suryakumar Yadav is one spot behind. The skipper of the Indian team is rated 739.

(Left) Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma (right). —File image.
Morkel talk about Abhishak
In the T20 World Cup, Abhishek Sharma is in disarray following his 55-run innings against Zimbabwe. Before the semi-final match against England, several cricket fans lack confidence in him. The Indian camp, however, seems unwilling to give up.
On Thursday, the bowling coach for India was questioned about whether Abhishek would be left out of the starting lineup. Morkel responded by using Sanju as an example, saying, “The game appears harsh and brutal at times. Sanju is an example in this instance. He can teach Abhishek. That will be advantageous to him. I believe he will restore his confidence if he can play a couple shots correctly. “Sanju was not scoring runs prior to the World Cup,” Morkel added. He was left out of the starting lineup. But how marvelously he has returned after Eden’s 97 is Sanju’s career a turning point . Abhishek may learn from Sanju’s comeback to scoring.
Pitch report
India’s game at Wankhede Stadium vs England. What are your thoughts about the pitch? “On the day of the game, the pitch will be better understood,” Morkel stated. After seeing it in the afternoon of the previous day, it is hard to decide. A small amount of water was added to the pitch due to the intense heat. Thus, today the upper portion was a bit softer. The pitch will be fully prepared once it has dried entirely. Good runs appear to be in store.
To what extent do you admire England? “England is a very good team,” Morkel remarked. They engage in intelligent cricket. They have excellent cricket players. They are a dangerous squad because of their strong batting depth. Bowlers from England are also capable of taking wickets. They have no fear when playing T20 cricket. It will be a good fight, in my opinion.
Morkel is hesitant to disappoint his team despite the respectful tone towards England. “Our team is also quite good,” stated the bowling coach for India. There are a number of excellent cricket players. Anyone can get to their feet. Anyone can prevail. I’m hoping that everyone will do well in tomorrow’s semifinal.” “We have to play perfect cricket against England,” Morkel added. In practice, everyone has put in a lot of effort. It’s true that nobody can ensure success. Everybody has the chance to give their finest performance.
The inaugural T20 World Cup semifinal between South Africa and New Zealand will take place in Kolkata on Wednesday. Suryakumar Yadav, the winner of the previous year, will take on Harry Brooks in the second semifinal on Thursday.