Mumbai, March 5 – Sanju Samson smashed a second successive half-century, helping India post a massive total before Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya bowled out England, spearheaded by Jacob Bethell's brilliant century, and guided the defending champions to the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
Samson blasted 89 off 42 balls, sharing crucial partnerships with Ishan Kishan and Shivam Dube as India posted 253/7 in their 20 overs. Jacob Bethell kept England in the game until the end, batting aggressively despite wickets falling on the other end, and scored 105 off 48 balls (8x4, 7x6).
England needed 45 runs from the last three overs, with Bethell and Sam Curran performing well in the middle. Bumrah bowled a brilliant 18th over, conceding only six runs, and Pandya followed with nine runs and a wicket, reducing the target to 30 off six balls. Bethell was out on the first ball of the 20th over, much to the delight of the crowd. England finished with 246/7 in 20 overs, handing India a seven-run victory and a place in the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
India is hoping to become the first nation to defend their T20 World Cup title, and Thursday's performance proved that it will take a special effort from New Zealand to stop them.
Chasing a target of 254, England started aggressively, reaching 68/3 in the Powerplay. Phil Salt (5) and Harry Brook were dismissed early, with England captain Jos Buttler caught by Jasprit Bumrah off Axar Patel, who became Bumrah's 500th international victim.
Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Jos Buttler (25 off 17 balls, 4x4, 1x6) in the penultimate over, as England slumped to 64/3.
Bethell continued to bat aggressively, reaching his fifty off 19 balls, with three fours and five sixes in a brilliant display. He started with a six off Bumrah, followed by sixes off Varun Chakravarthy in the sixth over and a six off Hardik Pandya. He then hit consecutive boundaries off Chakravarthy in the ninth over.
Tom Banton hit sixes off successive balls off Axar Patel before the spinner got the last laugh, dismissing Banton for 17 off five balls as England were reduced to 95/5. However, the scoring continued, with every England batter trying to operate at full throttle, despite the pressure, as they lost wickets.
Bethell was the only one who continued to bat aggressively and for a long time, adding 77 runs for the fifth wicket with Will Jacks, who contributed 35 runs off 20 balls (4x4, 2x6). His wicket cheered up the crowd, but India was still in a precarious situation, as England remained ahead of India's score. He then had crucial partnerships with Will Jacks and Sam Curran, but ultimately, their efforts were unsuccessful, as Bumrah and Pandya turned the tables.
Earlier, after England captain Harry Brook won the toss and opted to bat, India lost Abhishek Sharma to Will Jacks with 20 runs on the board. It could have been worse for the hosts if Brook had dismissed Samson in the third over. That mistake cost England 74 runs in 39 balls as Samson blasted another brilliant knock, adding to the 97 not out he had scored against the West Indies to take India into the semifinals.
Samson then went ballistic, hitting boundaries at will, treating all bowlers with disdain. Archer's first two overs cost him 26 runs, and he hit boundaries off Archer, Jacks, Sam Curran, and Adil Rashid, starting with a four off his first delivery. After a couple of sixes off Archer, Samson hit a six off Liam Dawson in the eighth over, followed by a six and a four off successive balls from Curran, while Jamie Overton's slower ball was pumped through the line for a straight six, and another slower one from Archer in his second spell was carved over the ropes at backward point.
Samson completed his fifty off 26 balls, his second in the competition, and added 97 runs with Ishan Kishan (39 off 18, 4x4, 2x6) in the eighth and ninth overs, scoring 19 and 20 runs respectively. He also added 43 runs for the third-wicket partnership with Shivam Dube.
Just when it looked like he would complete his first century in the T20 World Cup, Samson was out caught by Phil Salt off Will Jacks, trying to reach out at a wide one, but only managing to play it uppishly.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav could only score 11 runs, and though Dube was going well, his runout after a mix-up with Hardik Pandya (27 off 12), who made the call and then went back on it, reduced the momentum for India. Tilak Varma struck a couple of sixes in his 7-ball 27 as the hosts managed to post a total that England will find tough to chase.
Brief scores:
India 253/7 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 89, Shivam Dube 43, Ishan Kishan 39; Will Jacks 2-40, Adil Rashid 2-41) beat England 246/7 in 20 overs (Jacob Bethell 105, Will Jacks 35; Hardik Pandya 2-38, Jasprit Bumrah 1-33, Axar Patel 1-35) by seven runs.
