T20 WC 2026: Three Indian Players Who Missed a Century by Whiskers Ft. Sanju Samson
- Rohit Chatterjee
- 9 hours ago
- 3 minutes read
Before Sanju Samson, two more Indian players came close to scoring a century but missed the target
What a Sunday evening it was for India as the Men in Blue cruised past the West Indies in their final Super 8 game, securing a berth in the semi-final of the tourney. While credit goes to the entire team, one player in particular stole all the headlines – Sanju Samson, the one who scored 97 runs unbeaten and guided the team to a victory in a do-or-die situation.
Samson made his name go down in the history books of Indian cricket, but unfortunately, he missed a century, which is a rare feat in the T20 format of the game, especially on the World Cup stage.
Samson’s 97
Suryakumar Yadav:
— AJAY (@Supremacyx9) March 2, 2026
I’ve always believed good hearts get their moment. So proud of Sanju, his wife, and his family. Lost opening slot , shifted to middle overs , comeback and scored match winning knock
Sanju Samson: - Bass kar pagle, ab rulayega kya 🥹🥹pic.twitter.com/vTXTH0VpaA
Samson 97 now stands as the second-highest individual score by an Indian player in a T20 World Cup game. He came at a moment when India had lost two wickets before reaching 50, but from there on, played with utmost composure and scored 97 runs in 50 balls at a strike rate of 194, including 12 boundaries and four maximums. The game got wrapped with three balls to spare, and while India won and Samson served his purpose, a rare feat was missed.
Sharma’s 92
Nasser Hussain – "Rohit Sharma 92 against Australia is the best innings I have ever seen." pic.twitter.com/zVq1HgWsrV
— 𝐉𝐨𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐞 (@jod_insane) July 17, 2025
Before Samson, India’s former World Cup-winning skipper Rohit Sharma had come close to scoring a century but missed the feat. Batting first against Australia in a Super Eight game in 2024, Sharma had scored 92 runs in 41 balls at a strike rate of 224.39. His innings included seven boundaries and eight maximums, but unfortunately, he was bowled out by Mitchell Starc at 92. Nonetheless, Sharma’s efforts helped India post a target of 205 runs, and India defended the score, halting Australia at 181 runs.
Kohli’s 89
27yo Virat Kohli 89*(47) against prime West Indies in T20WC semi final. pic.twitter.com/IkqVSlkEmG
— Vivek (@Hailkohli18) March 1, 2026
Virat Kohli’s best score in the tourney’s history was 89 runs against the West Indies in the 2016 semi-final. Batting first, Virat Kohli helped India post a target of 192 with his 89 runs off 47 deliveries. Unfortunately, the match ended in favour of the West Indies, who chased the target and kicked India out of the tournament. The West Indies eventually lifted the World Cup trophy.
India’s only centurion
On this day in 2010, Suresh Raina became the first Indian player to smash a T20I hundred 🔥
— ICC (@ICC) May 2, 2021
He scored a spectacular 60-ball 101 in the 2010 @T20WorldCup against South Africa. pic.twitter.com/xpxhcxXWMt
To date, India’s only T20 centurion at the World Cup is Suresh Raina. Raina achieved this remarkable feat by scoring 101 runs off 60 deliveries, which included nine boundaries and five maximums against South Africa in 2010, which helped India score a target of 186 runs. The Men in Blue defended the target and won the game by 14 runs.
It’s been 16 years since India’s last and only centurion at the ICC T20 World Cup, and the wait continues. With two matches to go, will somebody from the team surpass Raina?
