Mumbai witnessed a nail-biting semi-final as India secured a seven-run win over England at Wankhede Stadium on March 5, 2026, earning a spot in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The victory puts India on the brink of making history as the first team to defend the T20 World Cup title successfully.
Electing to bat first, India posted a formidable 253/7, largely due to an explosive 89 off 42 balls from Sanju Samson. The right-hander, in superb tournament form, struck eight fours and seven sixes, anchoring the innings with aggressive strokeplay. After Abhishek Sharma’s early dismissal for nine, Samson combined with Ishan Kishan to put on a 97-run second-wicket stand. Kishan contributed a quickfire 39 off 18 balls. Samson then added 43 runs with Shivam Dube, who made 43 off 25 deliveries, keeping India’s momentum alive.
Samson reached his fifty in just 26 balls, marking his second consecutive half-century of the tournament. Late innings contributions from Hardik Pandya (27 off 12 balls) and Tilak Varma (21 off seven balls) propelled India past the 250-run mark. England bowlers Will Jacks and Adil Rashid took two wickets each but were unable to contain India’s aggressive batting display.
In response, England faced early pressure as Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakravarthy picked up one wicket apiece during the powerplay. Despite early setbacks, Jacob Bethell’s brilliant century kept England in contention, including a 77-run partnership with Will Jacks and a 50-run stand with Sam Curran. However, as the final overs approached, Pandya’s dismissal of Curran and tight death bowling from Bumrah and Pandya left England needing 30 off the last over.
Shivam Dube bowled the final over, and a sharp fielding effort saw Bethell dismissed on the first ball, sealing a thrilling seven-run victory for India. With this win, India will face New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final, aiming to defend their title for the second consecutive edition.
