Jacob Bethell’s magnificent maiden century came in a losing cause as India beat England by seven-runs in a pulsating T20 World Cup semifinal match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
Bethell’s 105 from just 48 balls bedrocked England’s total of 246-7 but Sanju Samson earlier smashed an imperious 89 from just 42 balls to spearhead India’s daunting total of 253-7 after being asked to bat first and it was, in the end, just enough for victory.
WE ARE INTO THE FINAL 🥳#TeamIndia win by 7⃣ runs in Mumbai 🙌
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 5, 2026
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Opener Samson was dropped on 15 by England captain Harry Brook – a ‘sitter’ at mid on off the bowling of Jofra Archer – and he capitalised in brutal style with eight fours and seven sixes as the England attack wilted under the onslaught.
Fellow opener Abhishek Sharma (9) slapped offspinner Will Jacks into the deep but Ishan Kishan and Shivam Dube maintained the ferocious tempo set by Samson.
Left-hander Kishan clubbed 39 from 18 balls (4x4, 2x6) before pulling legspinner Adil Rashid (4-0-41-2) to Jacks at deep midwicket and Dube helped himself to another four sixes and a four in his 43 from 25 balls before Brook’s direct hit saw him a metre short of his ground in a mix-up with captain Suryakumar Yadav (11) who was stumped by Jos Buttler off Rashid.
Samson was well on course for a century but was disinclined towards slowing down and holed out to Phil Salt at long on against Jacks whose first three overs brought him 2-26.
Samson was dismissed with seven overs of the innings remaining.
A Sanju Samson Show at Wankhede 🍿
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 5, 2026
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But Jacks was, oddly, asked to bowl the final over and was hammered by Hardik Pandya (27 from 12 balls) for another pair of sixes to finish with 2-40.
It was a dismal evening for Archer (4-0-61-1) who was whacked for three sixes by Tilak Varma in his final over – the 19th of the innings – before squeezing a yorker under Tilak’s bat to bowl him for 21 from just seven deliveries.
Sam Curran (4-0-53-0), Jamie Overton (3-0-36-0) and Liam Dawson (1-0-19-0) couldn’t escape the punishment on a typically flat Wankhede pitch and a lightning fast outfield. Not that India’s batsmen made much use of the outfield.
STUNNING CATCH
Salt (5) and Brook (7) were early casualties in England’s run-chase while Buttler’s first double figure score of 25 from 17 balls was an arduous struggle but Tom Banton smashed 17 from just five balls to reinvigorate the run-chase
Bethell drove and pulled the first three balls from legspinner Varun Chakravarthy (4-0-64-1) for six as 23 runs came from the sixth over despite the loss of Buttler and, after 10 overs, England had a chance at 119-4 with Bethell flying.
Jacks continued the momentum with 35 from 20 balls (4x4, 2x6) before slicing a full-toss from Arshdeep Singh to deep cover where Axar Patel held a stunning catch before tossing the ball to Shivam Dube just before stumbling over the boundary.
We're witnessing an Axar Patel masterclass in the field! 🫡
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 5, 2026
Another 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗯 to break the partnership 👏
Wicket No. 5️⃣
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England required an unlikely 39 from the final two overs and a flurry of boundaries made the result look closer than the reality – India, hosts and defending champions, were always one step ahead.
They will now meet New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Marching towards the #Final 👏
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 5, 2026
A step away from 𝙂𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙮 🏆#TeamIndia is into the #T20WorldCup finale 🥳
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/LxSBs3EDPx#MenInBlue | #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/6BBNkNw2aB
INDIA: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wkt), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
ENGLAND: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wkt), Harry Brook (captain), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid