Mumbai, March 5, 2026: A blistering knock from opener Sanju Samson propelled defending champions India national cricket team to a formidable total of 253/7 against England national cricket team in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
England captain Harry Brook opted to field first after winning the toss, but the decision backfired as the Indian batting lineup delivered a dominant performance in front of the home crowd.
India had a shaky start when left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for nine by Will Jacks in the second over with just 20 runs on the board.
However, the early setback did little to slow the hosts. Samson joined forces with Ishan Kishan to mount a strong recovery, with the pair adding 97 runs for the second wicket in just 44 deliveries. Kishan played an aggressive cameo, scoring 39 off 18 balls before being dismissed by leg-spinner Adil Rashid.
Samson continued the onslaught and later shared a 43-run partnership with all-rounder Shivam Dube for the third wicket. The in-form opener eventually fell in the 14th over to Jacks after a spectacular innings of 89 off 42 deliveries, featuring seven sixes and eight fours.
India suffered another setback soon after when captain Suryakumar Yadav was stumped off Rashid for 11.
With the score at 190/4 in 15.4 overs, Dube was joined by all-rounder Hardik Pandya, and the duo added 32 runs for the fifth wicket before Dube was run out following a mix-up and a direct hit from Brook. Dube contributed a valuable 43 off 25 balls, including four sixes and a boundary.
India finished strongly as Pandya and Tilak Varma delivered late fireworks, scoring 27 and 21 respectively, while also adding a quick 24-run partnership to push the total past the 250 mark.
For England, Jacks and Rashid claimed two wickets each, while fast bowler Jofra Archer picked up one wicket.
