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Men’s T20 World Cup, Super 8s Group 1, Kolkata

West Indies 195-4 (20 overs): Chase 40 (25); Bumrah 2-36

India 199-5 (19.2 overs): Samson 97* (50); Holder 2-38

India won by five wickets

India secured a T20 World Cup semi-final showdown with England after a tense five-wicket victory over West Indies thanks to Sanju Samson’s scintillating unbeaten 97.

Samson produced a chanceless knock off 50 balls – hitting 12 fours and four sixes – as India chased down 196 in a thrilling winner-takes-all encounter to round off the Super 8 stage at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The tournament co-hosts triumph ensured they claimed the runners-up spot in Group 1 behind South Africa which sealed a meeting with Group 2 winners England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday (13:30 GMT).

India had never chased more than 173 to win a World Cup match in the 20-over format, and were indebted to Samson’s level-headed approach.

Tilak Varma’s 27 off 15 balls was the next highest score by an India batter which underlined the composed manner in which Samson held together India’s reply.

Fittingly, Samson was there at the end to hit the winning runs – striking a six and then a four off Romario Shepherd to get India over the line with four balls to spare.

Earlier, India had been sloppy in the field after they had inserted West Indies which had allowed their opponents to post a competitive total.

There was tetchiness and a few cross words as India dropped three catches – Abhishek Sharma guilty of one particularly poor fumble – and a missed run-out chance.

Roston Chase was unexpectedly handed an opening slot and provided stability with his measured aggression – top-scoring with 40 off 25 – to help West Indies reach 102-1 before Jasprit Bumrah put the brakes on.

Bumrah outfoxed Chase with a slower ball then snared Shimron Hetmyer, West Indies’ standout batter in the tournament, for 27 with a delivery which angled across and took a thin edge as the left-hander tried to hit across the line.

With the pressure of 50,597 clad in blue packed into the stands at Eden Gardens, and the weight of a nation on their shoulders, Samson played a stellar hand.

This would have been the kind of chase that Virat Kohli would have masterfully approached in the past – one where temperament was as pertinent a factor as talent.

Samson toppled the pillars of the West Indies bowling attack in a methodical manner – expertly picking his moments to attack and increase the tempo of the chase with ruthless calculation.

There were four sixes but the the risk-free control of 12 fours, which barely got off the carpet, emphasised T20 cricket’s most important muscle is the mind not the bicep.

Samson’s deftness to use the crease to arrow square drives through backward point were particularly eye-catching.

“I have been playing this format for a long time and learning from the greats like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma,” Samson said in his post-match interview after being named player of the match.

“It is important to observe. I never felt I would do something like this. This is one of the greatest days of my life.”

Samson has three T20 international hundreds to his name but the career of the Kerala man – who studied an English literature degree – has been a rollercoaster which has seen him in and out of the India side.

In fact this was just his third match of the World Cup following modest returns of 22 and 24 against Zimbabwe and Namibia.

After he had whipped Shepherd over the square-leg boundary for six, Samson chipped the West Indies seamer over the head of mid-on to seal a memorable victory and possibly the iconic moment of his career.

He then fell to his knees, crossed himself and looked to the heavens.

While Samson is not necessarily Kohli’s heir, he had got India across the line by a hair’s breadth in the manner of the India batting legend.

“It means the whole world to me. From the day I started playing, this is the day I was waiting for. I have had a special journey and doubted myself at times, but I kept believing,” Samson added.

“This title run-in is going to be epic.”

That was the view of former Celtic striker Chris Sutton after he had just watched his former side stage a two-goal comeback in a seismic Old Firm derby.

However, even after that second-half fightback at the home of their city rivals, Hearts still ended the day as the big winners, watching the carnage unfold after grinding out another win 24 hours prior.

Following an enthralling 2-2 draw at Ibrox, Derek McInnes’ Scottish Premiership leaders are six points clear of Rangers and eight ahead of Celtic, who have a game in hand.

Motherwell also have a match to spare and sit fourth, 10 points adrift of the summit but within touching distance of the Glasgow pair.

When people expect Hearts to stall, they motor.

A 4-2 defeat to Rangers a fortnight ago seemed damaging at the time, but two weeks and two 1-0 wins later, it feels they are now in a stronger position than ever before with the finish line drawing closer.

Celtic face Aberdeen in their game in hand on Wednesday. If Martin O’Neill’s men win that, Hearts will still be five clear with nine to play.

Two of the Jambos’ next three fixtures are against the bottom two, with a visit from Dundee sandwiched in between.

Football is not played on paper, but McInnes’ side will be strong favourites to win each of their next three before Motherwell come to Tynecastle in their final pre-split encounter.

In the aftermath of Hearts’ narrow victory over Aberdeen on Saturday, former Hearts forward Ryan Stevenson said: “I think Hearts will win the league. I genuinely do.

“I cannot see them buckling. I cannot see them losing three or four games. I just can’t see Hearts losing the title now.”

Remaining opponents before split: Kilmarnock (A); Dundee (H); Livingston (A); Motherwell (H).

Some statement January business from Rangers was expected to propel them into being title favourites. Last month’s win over Hearts only added to that.

However, they are proving to become unpredictable under Danny Rohl and worries about the Ibrox side’s mentality are resurfacing.

Rangers have only lost once in the league under the German, who has done an impressive job to drag the team back into contention after Russell Martin’s dismal reign, but four draws in their past six league outings have prompted questions.

They lacked creativity in a goalless draw at Hibernian last month, surrendered leads to Motherwell and Celtic, and had to come from two down to rescue a point at bottom side Livingston.

Following Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Celtic, former Rangers and Hearts midfielder Andy Halliday suggested Rohl might have regretted his second-half approach.

“Rangers completely dominated the first 45 minutes, played forward, played with loads of energy,” the Motherwell man said. “It was completely roles reversed in the second half.

“Is there an element of frustration from Rohl and his staff that it almost felt like Rangers tried to hold on to what they had instead of trying to continue what was working ever so successfully for them in the first half?”.

Remaining opponents before split: St Mirren (A); Aberdeen (H); Dundee Utd (H); Falkirk (A).

At half-time at Ibrox on Sunday, most had started to write off Celtic’s title hopes.

O’Neill’s side were heading for a second straight league defeat that would have left them nine points adrift off Hearts and five off Rangers.

Even with a game in hand, their chances felt slim. However, a rousing response from the reigning champions underlined their credentials.

As far as mentality goes, they have the manager and players most equipped at dealing with the psychological aspect of a title fight.

However, concerns about the team’s performance level will remain, even after an impressive fightback in Govan.

O’Neill’s side have now conceded the opening goal in five of their past seven games across all competitions, securing victories in three of those five matches.

“Celtic were so far second best in that first half,” former Scotland winger Pat Nevin said. “Rangers played so superbly well. They had so many opportunities to make it three, which almost certainly would’ve killed it off.

“O’Neill made a couple of changes and those changes made a massive difference. The one thing you will say about this Celtic team, it doesn’t matter where they are, they don’t give up.”

Remaining opponents before split: Aberdeen (A); Motherwell (H); Dundee Utd (A); Dundee (A); St Mirren (H).

The fact Motherwell are even in the title conversation in March highlights just how unbelievable this season has been.

The numbers Jens Berthel Askou’s men are posting are equally as mind-boggling following their comfortable 2-0 victory at home to Dundee United.

The Fir Park side have lost just once in their past 20 league matches. They have kept 14 clean sheets in that run, all while playing the most expansive football in the country.

They have already set a new club milestone for clean sheets in a single season and are on track to smash their record for goals conceded in a 38-game top-flight campaign.

A few too many draws at the start of the season is the reason they are not closer to summit, and that may mean they need to be faultless in their final fixtures to have a chance of winning their first top-tier title in almost 100 years.

They will play Hearts twice in their last six games, though, which forms part of a challenging finale to their season.

A win in their game in hand at Dundee next Saturday will move them to within seven points of the leaders, but they will then face top-six opposition in their final nine matches.

That said, Askou’s fearless side should embrace what could be a truly special conclusion to the season for a club who have not been Scottish champions since 1932.

Remaining opponents before split: Dundee (A); Celtic (A); Hibernian (H); Falkirk (H); Hearts (A).

In little over 100 days, the United States will co-host a football World Cup that Iran have qualified for.

On Saturday, the US attacked Iran as part of a joint operation with Israel, sparking retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.

So what could the conflict mean for Iran, for the US, and for what was already set to be a highly politicised World Cup?

Iran’s group matches in what would be their fourth consecutive World Cup are against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, then Egypt in Seattle.

The team were not withdrawn from the competition last summer when the US bombed three nuclear facilities in the country, but the head of its football federation has now reportedly cast doubt on their participation.

“With what happened… and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that,” Mehdi Taj is reported to have told Iranian television.

But in the aftermath of the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and amid huge uncertainty over the future political landscape in the country, predicting such a decision – or even who would make it – is impossible.

“For Tehran, this is not a short 12-day war or a contained round of escalation that can be paused and reset,” said Dr Sanam Vakil – director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at international affairs think-tank Chatham House.

“This new stage of conflict is existential and clearly about regime survival. It is also unlikely to end quickly.”

Fifa – football’s world governing body – has said it is monitoring developments but, at this stage, officials are privately saying they expect Iran to be at the World Cup. On Saturday, Fifa’s general secretary Mattias Grafstrom said “our focus is to have a safe World Cup with everybody participating.”

If Iran were to boycott the tournament, Fifa rules dictate they could be replaced with an alternative team from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Iraq, who could qualify anyway via a continental play-off at the end of the month, or the UAE, who missed out on qualification, would be favourites to step in.

Iran’s women’s team, meanwhile, are preparing for their first match of the Asia Cup in Australia. The squad trained as planned on the Gold Coast on Sunday.

The AFC said in a statement it continued to “closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period”.

It added: “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and security of all players, coaches, officials, and fans. In this regard, we are in close and regular contact with the Iran women’s national team and officials on the Gold Coast and are offering our full support and assistance.”

US President Donald Trump last year signed an executive order banning nationals from 12 countries – including Iran – from entering the US, citing an effort to manage security threats. World Cup players and coaching staff are exempt.

But if Iran do play, there is now likely to be even more scrutiny on safety around the team’s matches, and the squad’s planned training base in Arizona.

Security had to be increased at the 2022 World Cup when the country’s matches in Qatar – including against the US – took place against a backdrop of mass anti-government protests in Iran.

During their second match against Wales, there were even confrontations between fans with opposing views about Iran’s government, and given Trump’s hopes for regime change there, it is possible a similar scenario could play out this summer.

“We are in uncharted territory in that we are just over three months away from the start of the World Cup and the hosts have just launched a war of aggression against a participating country,” says Nick McGeehan of human rights advocacy group FairSquare.

“If Iran withdraws its team – an outcome that seems entirely plausible – Fifa is likely to breathe a sigh of relief given the scope for protest and unrest.”

But even if Iran are absent, security will be even more of a focus, especially given the event will also be used to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, and Trump is expected to be a highly visible presence, as he was at the Club World Cup and Ryder Cup last year.

The conflict began just days after US government officials were warned there could be “catastrophic” security consequences if the 11 US cities hosting matches do not receive funding that has been frozen amid a partial government shutdown, with preparations said to be behind schedule.

There has also been mounting concern over the use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency at the tournament, and an outbreak of cartel violence in neighbours and co-hosts Mexico.

Over the weekend, Andrew Giuliani – head of the White House’s World Cup taskforce – praised Trump’s strikes on Iran, posting on social media it would “make the world a safe place”.

“We’ll deal with soccer games tomorrow,” he added. “Tonight we celebrate [the Iranian people’s] opportunity for freedom.”

In December, Fifa awarded Trump its inaugural ‘Peace Prize’ at the 2026 World Cup draw ceremony, saying he had “played a pivotal role” in establishing a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians, and that he had sought to end other conflicts.

In the few weeks since, the US has taken military action in Venezuela, Nigeria and Iran, and has hinted at possible further operations in Greenland, fellow World Cup co-host Mexico, and Colombia – another participant in the tournament. In January, Trump also told Cuba to “make a deal” or face consequences.

Trump has fiercely defended his foreign policy, insisting he is acting in the United States’ interests.

Last month, Infantino defended the awarding of the ‘Peace Prize’, even appearing at the first meeting of the US President’s Board of Peace while wearing a Trump-themed ‘USA’ cap branded with ’45-47′ in reference to his terms of office.

Trump’s decision to attack Iran has received both support and condemnation, but what is certain is it will lead to more scrutiny of Fifa’s decision to align itself with him, with critics arguing it undermined the governing body’s political neutrality.

In January, 27 politicians from Labour, the Liberal Democrats, Green Party and Plaid Cymru signed a motion in parliament calling on international sporting bodies to consider expelling the US from major international competitions, including the World Cup. The motion said such events “should not be used to legitimise or normalise violations of international law by powerful states”.

The same month, an official from the German Football Association said it was time to consider a boycott of the 2026 World Cup in the wake of Trump’s actions.

Such demands could now be repeated, and there could also be calls by Gulf states for Iran to be punished for its retaliatory attacks on their territory.

Fifa insists as an organiser of football events it has a statutory duty to remain neutral, and this is not the first time it has come under pressure over the political actions of a World Cup host.

In 2018, the tournament went ahead in Russia despite the country annexing Crimea four years earlier. Russia also stood accused of cyber attacks, meddling in western elections and carrying out the Novichok nerve-agent attack in Salisbury.

Russia was eventually banned by Fifa in 2022 over its invasion of Ukraine, after a number of European countries refused to compete against it.

But Infantino has recently said the punishment has not worked, and that he wants it lifted. There is no sign he has any appetite to sanction the US, regardless of how controversial its foreign policy is.

Matthew Brennan became the first Briton since cycling great Sir Mark Cavendish to win the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne one-day race in Belgium.

The 20-year-old’s sprint finish was too much for his rivals as he surged to victory in the 195km race and followed Cavendish’s success in 2012 and 2015.

“I’ve ridden this race twice as a junior,” said Visma-Lease a Bike rider Brennan, who was able to ride despite a heavy fall on Saturday in Omloop Nieuwsblad.

“We’ve always stood at the finish line and watched all the pros at the time come through and do their race.

“To be in that situation now where I can put my hands up in the air and I’ve actually won the pro race is fantastic.

“Hopefully, more to come – that’s the ambition.”