Mumbai, March 6: India has advanced to the finals of the T20 World Cup 2026. In an exhilarating semi-final match held at Wankhede Stadium, the Indian team triumphed over England by just 7 runs. Chasing a formidable target of 254 runs, England managed to score only 246 runs, losing 7 wickets in the process.
England’s chase got off to a rocky start. Phil Salt fell early, scoring just 5 runs, becoming a victim of Hardik Pandya. Captain Harry Brook also struggled, dismissed for 7 runs. Jos Buttler failed to capitalize on a promising start, scoring 25 runs off 17 balls before being bowled by Varun Chakravarthy. Tom Banton contributed a mere 17 runs before being dismissed, leaving England at 95 runs with four wickets down.
However, Will Jacks and Jacob Bethel steadied the innings. They forged a partnership of 77 runs for the fifth wicket in just 39 balls. Jacks scored 35 runs off 20 balls, hitting 4 fours and 2 sixes. Sam Curran and Bethel then added 50 runs for the sixth wicket in 27 balls, with Curran scoring 18 runs off 14 balls. Bethel played a remarkable innings, completing his century in 45 balls and finishing with an impressive 105 runs off 48 balls, including 8 fours and 7 sixes. Despite his efforts, England fell short. Hardik Pandya was the standout bowler for India, taking 2 wickets for 38 runs, while Arshdeep and Bumrah claimed one wicket each.
Earlier, India set a record score for a T20 World Cup knockout match. After losing the toss, the Indian team posted 253 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their 20 overs. Sanju Samson delivered a stellar performance, scoring 89 runs off 42 balls, with 8 fours and 7 sixes. Shivam Dube also contributed significantly, scoring 43 runs off 25 balls. However, Abhishek Sharma disappointed again, managing only 9 runs, while captain Suryakumar Yadav scored 11 runs.
In the final overs, Tilak Varma scored 21 runs off just 7 balls, and Hardik Pandya added 27 runs off 12 balls. For England, Will Jacks and Adil Rashid took two wickets each, while Jofra Archer had a costly outing, conceding 61 runs in 4 overs. India will face New Zealand in the final on March 8 at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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