India are on course to create history at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, as they edged past England to advance to the final. The hosts scraped through to set up the first-ever India vs New Zealand final at the T20 World Cup.
After Sanju Samson led the charge to take India to 253 for 7, the home team survived a spirited challenge from England to register a seven-run win in a high-scoring semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
In Sunday’s title clash, India are chasing a few firsts as they take on New Zealand in Ahmedabad. They are aiming to become the first host team to win the T20 World Cup, the first team to defend the title and the first to win three T20 world titles.
Allen basks in glory as New Zealand look ahead to World Cup final on Sunday
Another Sanju special for India
Another day, another special by Sanju Samson. Unable to find a place in the star-studded playing XI earlier in the tournament, Samson has come good for India in clutch games. After a match-winning 97 not out against West Indies in the final Super Eight clash, the right-hand batter continued from where he had left off.
Samson scored an eye-popping 89 off 42 balls, with the help of eight fours and seven sixes, to lead India to a towering total.
Put into bat, Samson got going from the first over, hitting back-to-back boundaries to Jofra Archer to give India the early momentum. Given a life at 15, when England captain Harry Brook put down a simple catch at mid-on, off Archer’s bowling, Samson made England pay.
With Wankhede rolling out another batting paradise, Samson, and India, whipped the crowd to a fever pitch with some relentless shot making. Having ended powerplay on 67 for 1, the defending champions continued to press on. Samson got stuck into a flighted delivery by Liam Dawson, carving it inside out over extra cover for six to bring up his half-century in just 26 balls.
Samson built a 94-run stand (in 45 balls) with Ishan Kishan and a 43-run partnership (in 22 balls) with Shivam Dube.
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Once he had set the tone for the innings, it was difficult for England to pull back against India’s power-packed batting line up. There were contributions all through, as Kishan (39 from 18), Dube (43 from 25), Hardik Pandya (26 from 11) and Tilak Varma (21 from 7) all came out swinging.
India struck 19 sixes and 18 fours through the innings, earning 186 runs in boundaries.
Will Jacks was once again England’s go-to man for wickets. After claiming the early wicket of left-handed Abhishek Sharma, he returned to send back dangerman Samson. England’s bowling spearhead Archer suffered at the Indian batter’s hands on the day, as he conceded 61 runs in his four overs, with the lone wicket of Varma to show.
“Feels great, I knew I got some form going from the last game. I thought I need to make the most out of my form, gave myself extra time. We know no score is stoppable, wanted as much as possible. England came close, played really well. Good semifinal. You need to assess conditions, played a lot of cricket, chasing is easier. But the way myself and Ishan was batted, 250 should be possible. Very happy. All credit goes to Bumrah, once in a generation bowler. Think this award should go to him. Unbelievable feeling to play here, we wanted to put in a positive result. Hundred doesn’t matter, it’s not a Test or an ODI game where you can go up and down. Happy to get whatever I’m getting and in a winning effort,” said Samson, who won his second consecutive Player of the Match award.
The highest score in a run chase at a T20 World Cup was England’s 230 against South Africa in 2016.
England gave it their all
Facing a record chase in the semifinal, England gave it a good go and fell agonisingly short, finishing at 246 for 7.
England stumbled early on as Phil Salt, Jos Buttler and Harry Brook are back in the dugout inside the first six overs. Hardik Pandya gave India the breakthrough as he dismissed Salt on the first ball of his spell, while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah followed up with the wicket of Brook.
Out of form Buttler seemed in good touch on Thursday, scoring 25 from 17 balls. But Varun Chakaravarthy castled him with a googly to reduce England to 68 for 3 in powerplay.
Though England lost early wickets, they were able to keep pace with India. While the hosts brought up the team 100 in 8.3 overs, England reached the milestone in 8.1, the second-fastest team hundred in T20 World Cup knockouts.
Bethell took the game deep
Jacob Bethell kept his team in the hunt deep into the innings with a blazing century. He took the attack to India, launching his innings with three successive sixes off mystery spinner Chakaravarthy and kept up the tempo.
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It was a brilliant piece of fielding that ended the 77-run stand (39 balls) between Bethell and Will Jacks. After three successive wide balls, Arshdeep Singh managed to get the right line, just outside off, which the in-form Jacks sliced over cover. Axar Patel ran from deep cover, got hands to the ball just before he crossed the boundary, and tossed it to Shivam Dube who completed the relay catch.
Despite losing partners at regular intervals, Bethell took the game into the final over. However, he was run out at 105, off just 48 balls, with the help of eight fours and seven sixes. In the end it came down to small margins, and Bumrah’s economical bowling at the death and India’s superior fielding took them over the finish line.
Brief scores: India 253 for seven in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 89, Ishan Kishan 39, Shivam Dube 43, Hardik Pandya 27, Tilak Varma 21; Will Jacks 2/40, Adil Rashid 2/41) beat England 246 for seven in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 26, Jacob Bethell 105, Will Jacks 35, Jofra Archer 19 not out; Hardik Pandya 2/38).
