Sanju Samson scored 89 runs as India posted 253-6 and beat England by 7 runs in the second semi-final of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Published on 5 March 2026
Defending champions India defeated England by 7 runs in one of the greatest T20 World Cup matches of all time in their semi-final match in Mumbai.
Sanju put the tournament co-hosts unbeaten on Thursday with a total of 253-6, while Jacob Bethel’s century put England on the brink of a historic run chase.
Recommended stories
List of 4 itemsEnd of list
Scored 64-3 inside the power play, England are staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat at the Wankhede Stadium.
Tom Banton scored 17 off 5 balls, however, with Will Jacks scoring 35 off 20 in a 77-run partnership in 6.3 overs with Bethel.
When Ranaut fell with 105 off 48 balls in the last over, the game was up and India were heading into the final as England finished on 246-7.
Suryakumar Yadav’s team will now win their third T20 World Cup title against New Zealand.
Earlier, England won the toss and decided to field, but Samson’s 89 off 42 balls set the stage for India to build a huge total.
The in-form opener, who scored an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in the previous match, thrilled the home crowd with seven sixes and eight fours.
The hosts bombarded England’s attack to all parts of the ground, hitting 19 sixes and 18 boundaries, meaning Harry Brook’s side needed a T20 World Cup record chase of 254 to reach the final.
Samson signaled his intent with a four and a six in Jofra Archer’s first over after Brooke won the toss and elected to bowl.
Jacks took the second over and gave England a shot when Abhishek Sharma (9) picked up off-spinner Phil Salt at deep midwicket.
Samson was given life on 15 when Brook dropped a simple chance at mid-off from Archer.
It proved a costly mistake, aided by some disciplined bowling, Samson raced to his half-century with another huge six off 26 balls.
Ishan Kishan put on 97 off 48 balls with Samson for the second wicket, jacking out left-hander Adil Rashid in the 10th over to make it 117-2.
Samson turned on the power until Jax returned to catch Salt in the deep in the 14th over, at which point India were 160-3.
Shivam Dubey continued the onslaught with 43 off 25 balls with four sixes before being run out by Brooke’s direct hit.
Hardik Pandya scored 27 off 12 balls late on and Thilak Verma 21 off seven balls to take India past the 250 mark.
Jacks was the pick of the England bowlers with 2-40 but the wayward Archer did the spoils, taking 1-61 from his four overs.
New Zealand secured a comprehensive win over South Africa on Wednesday and look forward to Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.
(Tags to Translate)News
