Defending champions India defeat England by seven runs to storm into the final of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after a dominant performance in the semi-final at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium. Fueled by a record-breaking batting display and disciplined bowling, the Men in Blue secured their spot in the title clash, where they will face New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8.
After being put into bat, India overcame the early loss of Abhishek Sharma to post a staggering 253/7 – the highest-ever total in a T20 World Cup knockout match. Sanju Samson continued his dream run, smashing 89 off 42 balls (7 sixes, 8 fours).
Contributions from Shivam Dube (43 off 25) and Hardik Pandya (27 off 12) ensured India crossed the 250-run mark for the first time in a tournament knockout.
Jacob Bethell’s brilliant fightback
While chasing a massive 254-run target, Jacob Bethell produced a brilliant fightback with a stunning 105 off 48 deliveries, keeping England in the hunt. However, disciplined death bowling from Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah in the final overs helped India seal the victory, restricting England to 246/7.
Axar Patel also played a crucial role in the field, pulling off two spectacular catches that proved pivotal in turning the momentum in India’s favour.
After India’s win, Sanju Samson, Player of the Match said: “Feels really great. I knew I got some form going from the last game. I gave myself extra time and it came off nicely. I wanted to carry on. I wanted to get as much as possible. We had a great semi-final. We need to assess the conditions. We have played a lot of matches here at the Wankhede. Very happy how the team turned up today. All credit to Jasprit Bumrah. It’s an unbelievable feeling to play here at the Wankhede. You can’t actually score a hundred, it comes in the process. You just have to keep going hard. Very happy to contribute.”
Playing XIs
India Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
England Playing XI: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler(w), Harry Brook(c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
