India defeated England by seven runs in the second semifinal of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, March 5. This win helped them set up a final date with New Zealand in Ahmedabad. The ultimate game will be played on Sunday, March 8.
India batted first against England and put up a mammoth total of 253-7, thanks largely to the brilliant knock of 89 runs played by opener-wicketkeeper Sanju Samson. He took a mere 42 deliveries to do so. Samson struck eight boundaries and seven sixes during his stay at the crease.
He was also helped out by the likes of Ishan Kishan (39) and Shivam Dube (43). Hardik Pandya (27) and Tilak Varma (21) played blinders in the lower order to finish well. For England, seamer Jofra Archer was the most expensive bowler, conceding 61 runs in his quota of four overs, picking up just one wicket.
Will Jacks was the most economical, conceding 40 in his four overs, and picking up two wickets. In reply, England lost opener Phil Salt (5) with just 13 runs on the board, and captain Harry Brook (7) 25 runs later. Jos Buttler stayed put with a 17-ball 25.
That’s when Jacob Bethell walked out to the crease and turned the game on its head. The southpaw was brutal on the Indian spinners, especially Varun Chakaravarthy, and struck a well-deserved 105 off just 48 balls. Sadly, Bethell received little support from his teammates save Jacks (35).
And when the former got run out on the first ball of the final over, things finally seemed to have turned in India’s favour. However, Archer struck seamer Dube for 19 runs to keep England fans on the edge of their seats throughout.
Nonetheless, the 22 runs scored in the final over were not enough for England to get over the line, and India eventually won the match by 7 runs. They also booked their spot in the final of the T20 World Cup, where they will meet New Zealand on Sunday.
