Defending champions India withstood Jacob Bethell’s brilliant hundred in a thrilling match to beat England by seven runs on Thursday and reach the Twenty20 World Cup final. Put in to bat, India racked up a commanding 253-7 as Sanju Samson struck a commanding 89, supported by fluent contributions from Shivam Dube and Ishan Kishan. England’s reply was carried single-handedly by Bethell, who plundered a 48-ball 105 to keep his team in the hunt, but the two-time champions fell just short. The match was a proper emotional rollercoaster at the Wankhede Stadium; here are some standout moments.
It came down to the finest margins in the end. England – Jacob Bethell and Sam Curran – decided not to take risks against Jasprit Bumrah in his final over, leaving themselves needing 39 runs off 12 balls. And Bethell, playing one of the great T20 World Cup knocks, hit the first ball of Hardik Pandya’s over for a six to bring up his century off just 45 balls. At that stage, it wasn’t quite clear whether he had done enough for it to be a winning knock but a look at many hundreds of faces in the crowd said a story: he had India worried, he had England hoping. In the end, he fell short – literally and figuratively – while diving to complete a second run. It Hardik’s throw from the deep that did the trick for India, and the Indian allrounder had just a few brilliant minutes to pull things firmly toward his side. The 19th over from him and that run out proved just enough for India to end Bethell’s masterclass. It had already been evident that Bethell is a superstar for the future, but this innings was a reminder he is ready here and now.
– Vinayakk Mohanarangan
Wankhede silenced
The crescendo of noise that emanated when the ball left Abhishek Sharma’s bat was quickly silenced when it fell into Phil Salt’s hands at wide long-on, a long way inside the rope. The left-hander, who was touted to be the star of the tournament, has had a torrid time. Will Jacks, England’s key player in the competition, gave one a bit more air and Sharma, who had just hit a full toss over mid-off, couldn’t get the desired connection. The celebration in the England ranks showed how much they valued his scalp, even if Sharma had been short of runs. Off-spinners have had his number of late, and the dismissal would do little to alter the opinion that it’s his Achilles Heel. The team management has repeatedly given him the vote of confidence, predicting that a big knock was around the corner. But that has not materialised, and with Sharma’s less-than-exemplary performance in the field, the pressure only intensified.
– Tushar Bhaduri
You can measure runs, partnerships, and strike rates, but the real stat here is intent. Loved the positive approach with the bat and the cool heads in the field. That’s the mindset you want in knockout cricket.
Great to see Sanju Samson carry his form into this match and set the… pic.twitter.com/kYczSjuDhX
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 5, 2026
Battle against Archer
A year back, when Sanju Samson and Jofra Archer faced off, this is how it had panned out: 23 deliveries, 25 runs, three dismissals. The raw pace and the bounce of Archer meant that Samson had repeatedly fallen to short deliveries, which has been a problematic area. On Thursday, Archer wanted to test him again, and off the fourth delivery of the first over, landed a short one. However, instead of cramping, it angled down the leg and Samson pulled him over fine-leg for six. In his second over, Archer tested him again, this time again Samson stood back in the crease and hammered it to the second tier of the Sachin Tendulkar stand. Samson was off, so was India. It was just the start the hosts needed in a match-up that was seen as central to the outcome of the game.
– Venkata Krishna B
What a player, what an innings! 👏
Virat Kohli 89*(47) vs WI, 2016
Sanju Samson’s 89(42) vs ENG, 2026Joint-highest score by an Indian in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup knockouts! 🙌
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup | Semi-final 2 | #INDvENG | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/L2OuYBUDbL pic.twitter.com/2gNsU6Ry55
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 5, 2026
Miscalculation?
On a night where England bowlers, including their spinners, got a hammering, two deliveries showed what they could have perhaps done differently. Attacking the line of stumps is often fraught with risk at a ground like the Wankhede Stadium, and when they landed it wide outside the arc of the batsmen, they stood a strong chance. Adil Rashid, after being hit by Ishan Kishan, altered his line a bit, going outside off, which the left-hander skied to long-off. And Samson, who looked unstoppable during his knock, fell the first time he was made to reach for the delivery well outside off by Will Jacks. Angled from around the wicket, Samson tried to go over covers, but like Ishan, ended up hitting it off the toe end of the bat as it settled under the fielder at sweeper cover. The two Indian batters were in sensational form but were undone by deliveries out of their reach… should England have done more of that?
– Venkata Krishna B
1, 2, 3… Dube not ready…
Shivam Dube is not the most speedy in this Indian team, but when he looks back at his dismissals during the tournament, he’d be wondering… am I really that slow to be run out thrice? Twice earlier, he was involved in mix-ups with Rinku Singh, confusion reigning supreme between the two left-handers against Namibia and Pakistan. On Thursday in Mumbai, it was Hardik Pandya’s turn to sell Dube down the river. Hardik was forced to defend a yorker from Sam Curran but casually took off after hitting the ball straight to midwicket. Shivam wasn’t watching the ball, he had eyes on his partner, as he should have. But it was a late call of no from Hardik, and Shivam’s turning radius isn’t the smallest. By the time he got around, Harry Brook nailed a direct hit. A disappointed look-back from Dube, a hand up in apology from Hardik.
– Vinayakk Mohanarangan
Jacks of all trades
English skipper Harry Brook took a bold call when he brought in Will Jacks in the 20th over to bowl despite the carnage by the Indian batters throughout the innings. While Jacks conceded 16 runs with Hardik Pandya hitting two sixes, the last over was the only blot on otherwise a fine performance by the all-rounder as he conceded just 26 runs in first three overs with wickets of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Jacks has been go to man for Brook throughout the tournament with all-rounder delivering whenever needed. Such has been his impact in the ongoing tournament that out of the eight games England have played, he has been named Player of the match in four games. The all-rounder has scored 191 runs batting in a finisher role, taken nine wickets and six catches in the tournament so far. He has repeatedly bailed his team out of trouble, standing up in difficult situations.
– Pritish Raj
Moment(s) of magic
‘Catches win you matches’ is one of the oldest cricketing cliches. While India haven’t exactly been setting the world alight with their catching in the tournament, Axar Patel’s stunner to dismiss England captain Harry Brook off Jasprit Bumrah is easily a contender for the best catch of this World Cup. Bumrah started his spell with a signature slower one, rolling his fingers across the seam, and completely outfoxed Brook, who was early through his shot. The bowler had done his part, producing another magical piece of skill. Bumrah’s slower ball has already flummoxed some of the best in the world. But there was still plenty to be done for this to turn into a wicket. It was a skier, and Axar ran back from point, all the while keeping his eyes on the ball. It was in the air for an eternity it seemed, and the moment it looked like falling out of his reach, Axar timed his dive perfectly to pluck the catch after covering a distance of 24 meters.
– Pritish Raj
