India have made it to the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 after beating England by seven runs on Thursday.
Jacob Bethell’s sensational century went in vain as some excellent late bowling proved decisive for the Men in Blue.
India will now face New Zealand in Sunday’s final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
England won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The Three Lions got the early wicket of Abhishek Sharma, who once again failed to play a big knock and was dismissed by Will Jacks on just nine.
However, Sanju Samson quickly shifted momentum back in their favour, pummelling sixes and boundaries all over the ground.
The 31-year-old struck 89 off just 42 deliveries with the help of seven sixes and eight boundaries.
Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya also played impressive knocks, as India posted a formidable 253 total in the allotted 20 overs.
England’s chase was far from ideal, with Pandya removing Phil Salt in the second over.
Captain Harry Brook followed the opener soon to the pavilion after being deceived by Jasprit Bumrah’s slower ball.
Wickets kept tumbling, but England didn’t let their run rate drop.
Jacob Bethell was most impressive with the bat, as he raced to his half-century off just 19 deliveries. The 22-year-old kept hitting boundaries and sixes to keep his side in the game.
Bethell reached his century but ultimately failed to lead his team to victory.
Jasprit Bumrah and Pandya bowled brilliantly, with the duo restricting England’s batsmen and sharing three wickets between them.
