Wankhede Stadium witnessed batting fireworks as India, powered by Sanju Samson’s thunderous 89, racked up 253/7 against England in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final 2. The 254-run victory target sets up a high-stakes chase, winner takes on New Zealand in the March 8 Ahmedabad finale.
Thursday’s thriller saw India bat first post-toss defeat. Abhishek Sharma’s brief stay (9 off 7) ended early, but Samson-Ishan Kishan counterpunched with 97 off 45 balls to 117. Kishan’s 39 (18b, 4x4s, 2x6s) was pure aggression.
Samson-Dube then accelerated with 43 in 22 balls to 160, SKY adding 11. Samson’s 42-ball 89 (8×4, 7×6) was the standout, captivating 33,000 fans. Dube (43 off 25, 1×4, 4×6) perished to a run-out after partnering Pandya for 22.
Pandya’s 27 (12b, 3×4, 2×6) and Varma’s 21 (7b, 3×6) provided the perfect finish. Bowling analysis exposed England’s woes: Jacks 2/–, Rashid 2/–, Archer 1/61, Curran 0/53. India unchanged; England swapped Rehan for Overton.
India XI: Sharma, Samson†, Kishan, Yadav*, Varma, Pandya, Dube, Patel, Singh, Chakaravarthy, Bumrah. England: Salt, Buttler†, Brook*, Bethell, Banton, Curran, Jacks, Overton, Dawson, Archer, Rashid.
This Wankhede epic underscores T20’s unpredictability. England’s batting depth faces India’s lethal attack – expect sixes, wickets, and heartbreak.