India made it to the WC finals after a nail-biting finish against England!

On Thursday, 05 March 2026, India won the semi-final against England and advanced to the finals of the T20I World Cup 2026. The semi-final was played in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, where India put up a humongous total of 253/7 and won by 7 runs.

After winning the toss, England chose to bowl first. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma came to open for India, where Sanju Samson played a brilliant knock of 89 (42), bashing 8 fours and 7 sixes. However, Abhishek Sharma scored 9 from 7 balls. Both the batsmen were caught out by Phil Salt, and Will Jacks claimed 2 wickets for England. India lost their first wicket in the 2nd over with a score of 20/1. However, after that, Ishan Kishan came to bat, where he scored 39 (18), hitting 4 fours and 2 sixes. Both Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson put up a partnership of 97 runs, until Ishan Kishan got caught out by Will Jacks in the 10th over, bringing India’s total to 117/2.

Up next, Shivam Dube came to bat, along with Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav on the other end. Soon, Suryakumar also lost his wicket in the 16th over, scoring 11 off 6 balls. Hardik Pandya came to bat after that. But unfortunately, in a sudden confusion when running between the wickets with Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube got run out by Harry Brook in the 18th over. Dube scored 43 (25), hitting 1 four and four sixes, bringing India’s total to 212/5. Then stood Tilak Varma at the crease and hit three big sixes, until he got bowled by Jofre Archer, scoring 21 (7) in the last ball of the 19th over, with team India scoring 236/6. Axar Patel came to bat after that. In the last over, Hardik Pandya hit two sixes before getting run out by Jacob Bethel. With Axar Patel 2*(2) and Varun Chakravarthy 0*(1), India finished 253/7 batting first in the semi-final against England.

Soon, England came to bat next. Openers Phil Salt and Jos Buttler started scoring runs, until Phil Salt 5 (3) gave away his wicket to Hardik Pandya in the 2nd over. England were at 13/1. England captain Harry Brook 7 (6) came to bat next and got out by Bumrah, bringing England’s score to 38/2 at the beginning of the 5th over. Then came Jacob Brethel to bat for England. However, Jos Buttler 25 (17) got bowled out by Varun Chakravarthy in the 6th over. England were struggling to keep wickets in hand and reached a score of 64/3 at the end of the 6th over. Tom Banton came to bat next, but got bowled out by Axar Patel in the 8th over. Banton scored 17 off 5 balls. England were at 95/4 in 7.3 over(s). Next came Will Jacks for England. Both Will Jacks and Jacob Brethel made a partnership of 77 runs, until Will Jacks, 35 (20), lost his wicket to Arshdeep Singh, with a breathtaking catch taken by Axar Patel and Shivum Dube. Next to bat was Sam Curran, but Brethel, on the other end, kept on scoring runs, threatening to finish the match. Sam Curran scored 18 runs off 14 balls, and got out by Hardik Pandya with a wonderful by Shivam Dube, bringing England’s total to 222/6 in 18.3 overs.

Jacob Brethel then scored a magnificent century for his team, with England’s hopes lunged onto him. In the last over, England required 30 runs, with the in-form batsman Jacob Brethel on strike. The call to bowl Shivam Dube in the final over was a brave one by the Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav. On the first ball, Brethel hit the ball towards long on, with the intent of taking 2 runs. But Hardik Pandya threw the ball directly towards wicket-keeper Sanju Samson, and Jacob Brethel got run-out. Brethel scored a magnificent 105 off 48 balls, hitting 8 fours and 6 sixes alone, carrying the English side on his back. Jofra Archer took charge next and scored 19*(4), but it wasn’t enough. At the end of the second innings, England’s total was 248/7, and India won the match by 7 runs, earning their spot in the finals.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. Obviously, playing in India, leading such a wonderful side, and with the World Cup happening here, going to Ahmedabad to play that final. I think it’s a special feeling for all the boys. I think he knew what he wanted to do as soon as he went in to bat (on Sanju Samson). Even when a wicket fell, he knew the wicket was good, so he kept pressing the pedal. The way he batted was exactly what the team required. It was due after all the hard work he’s been putting in over the last year,” said Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav in the post-match interview.

Sanju Samson claimed his second successive ‘man of the match’ after he led the charge with a decisive 89 off 42 balls, after being dropped earlier.

England team’s skipper also added, “Like I said earlier, we should be extremely proud of the way we played. I mentioned the other day that we’re never out of games, and that was proven again tonight. Chasing 250, other teams might have folded or crumbled away, but we stuck at it the whole game. We gave it a real go, and unfortunately we were just on the wrong side of it tonight.”

Team India will face the mighty New Zealand in the finals of the 2026 ICC T20I World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8, 2026.