Mumbai, March 5: In a thrilling display of batting, Sanju Samson propelled India to set a massive target of 254 runs against England in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2026. The winning team will face New Zealand for the title on March 8 in Ahmedabad.
Batting first after losing the toss at Wankhede Stadium, India scored 253 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. The innings faced an early setback when Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for just 9 runs off 7 balls in the second over.
Samson then formed a crucial partnership with Ishan Kishan, adding 97 runs for the second wicket off 45 balls, taking India to a score of 117. Ishan contributed 39 runs from 18 balls, hitting 2 sixes and 4 fours before being dismissed. Samson continued to build momentum with Shivam Dube, adding 43 runs for the third wicket off just 22 balls, pushing the score to 160. He returned to the pavilion after scoring 89 runs off 42 balls, including 7 sixes and 8 fours. Captain Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with 11 runs.
Shivam Dube held his ground at the other end, scoring 43 runs off 25 balls with 4 sixes and 1 four before being run out due to a mix-up with Hardik Pandya. In the final overs, Pandya and Tilak Varma accelerated the innings, with Pandya scoring 27 runs off 12 balls and Varma hitting 21 runs off just 7 balls, leading India to a total of 253/7.
For England, Will Jacks and Adil Rashid took 2 wickets each, while Jofra Archer claimed 1 wicket, conceding 61 runs in his 4 overs. Sam Curran also had a tough outing, giving away 53 runs in 4 overs.
India made no changes to their playing XI, while England replaced Rehan with Jamie Overton.
India’s Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and Jasprit Bumrah.
England’s Playing XI: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Harry Brook (captain), Jacob Bethel, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, and Adil Rashid.
Disclaimer: This news is directly from the agency; our team has not edited it.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
