India Dominate England with 253/7 in High-Scoring T20 World Cup 2026 Semifinal Clash

Mumbai | 5 March 2026 : India produced a strong batting display against England in the semifinal of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium, with opener Sanju Samson leading the charge with a brilliant knock. England captain Harry Brook won the toss and decided to bowl first, while Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav said, “We were looking at bat first anyway.” The match carried huge significance as both teams once again met in a World Cup semifinal after previous clashes in 2022 and 2024.

India started aggressively in the powerplay despite losing Abhishek Sharma early. Samson quickly took control of the innings, attacking the English bowlers with a series of boundaries and sixes. A dropped catch by Harry Brook when Samson was on 15 proved costly, as the Indian opener punished the mistake by hitting Jofra Archer for two fours and a six in the same over. India raced to 50 runs in just 4.3 overs and ended the powerplay strongly at 67/1, with Samson reaching his half-century in only 26 balls.

At the other end, Ishan Kishan supported Samson with an aggressive 39 off 18 balls. England finally got a breakthrough when spinner Adil Rashid dismissed Kishan. However, the pressure did not ease for England as Shivam Dube joined Samson and immediately launched a counterattack, smashing a couple of sixes. India crossed the 100-run mark in just 8.3 overs and continued scoring at a rapid pace.

Samson looked set for a memorable century but was eventually dismissed for 89 off 42 balls after attempting another big shot. Soon after, Suryakumar Yadav hit a six but was stumped on the very next delivery. Despite these wickets, India maintained a scoring rate of more than 12 runs per over as Hardik Pandya walked in and struck three consecutive boundaries.

The momentum continued as Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, and Tilak Varma added crucial runs in the middle and final overs. Tilak Varma played a quick and impactful cameo, smashing several sixes before falling to a well-executed yorker. Archer struggled throughout the match, ending with figures of 1/61 in his four overs. Hardik also attacked Will Jacks with back-to-back sixes, though he was later run out while trying to take a second run.

In the final over, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel added the finishing touches as India ended their innings at a huge total of 253/7. Samson may take the spotlight, but strong contributions from Dube, Tilak, Hardik and Kishan helped build the massive score. England now face a daunting target of 254 runs, and it will require something extraordinary if they are to chase it down.