India posted a colossal total of 253/7 in 20 overs against England in the T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Put in to bat first, India suffered an early blow with Abhishek Sharma departing for 9. However, Sanju Samson once again rose to the occasion, playing a blistering knock of 89 off just 42 deliveries. Despite England’s struggles with the ball, their openers Phil Salt and Jos Buttler began the chase aggressively, dealing in boundaries early on. But India’s bowlers quickly regained control, striking with crucial wickets in quick succession.
England skipper Harry Brook, who had enjoyed a memorable tournament with several noteworthy innings, failed to make an impact in the semifinal. He fell for just seven runs to Jasprit Bumrah, and his dismissal became one of the standout moments of the match.
The moment unfolded on the first ball of the fifth over. Bumrah deceived Brook with a clever slower delivery, which Brook struck powerfully towards cover in search of a boundary. Axar Patel sprinted back, kept his eyes glued to the ball, and pulled off a brilliant forward dive to complete a stunning catch-sending the Wankhede crowd into a frenzy.
“Bapu tari fielding kamal che!”
Out of words for that sensational catch by Axar Patel to end Harry Brook’s stay at the crease!
Catch of the tournament?
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup | Semi-final 2 | #INDvENG | LIVE NOW https://t.co/L2OuYBUDbL pic.twitter.com/qFwnou3pCo
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 5, 2026
Talking about the match, England reached 119/4 after 10 overs in their pursuit of a steep 254-run target in the second semifinal.
Earlier, Sanju Samson led India’s innings with a sensational 42-ball 89, hammering seven sixes and eight fours. He received strong support from Shivam Dube (43), Ishan Kishan (39), Hardik Pandya (27), and Tilak Varma (21), all of whom contributed valuable cameos to propel India past the 250 mark.
For England, Will Jacks (2/40) and Adil Rashid (2/41) were the standout bowlers, claiming two wickets each.
“When I went in, Sanju bhai got a few boundaries and the way he batted .. the pitch looked pretty flat and at the same time, I knew we need a good total on board. The most important part was I feel we had to get the momentum going to try and get as much as runs on the board. And I think he batted in a manner where I had I was not supposed to do much, just play good cricketing shots and especially the partnership when you get on third wicket partnership is big, the other team is down, but at the same time, I feel it’s a very good wicket and we have to bowl in a very good manner today,” said Ishan Kishan during the innings break.
(With PTI Inputs)