India Edge Past England by 7 Runs, Set Up T20 World Cup Final Clash with New Zealand

Mumbai: India defeated England by seven runs in a thrilling second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, securing a place in the final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Batting first, India posted a massive total of 253/7 in 20 overs, riding on a sensational knock by Sanju Samson. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed 89 off just 42 deliveries, hitting eight fours and seven sixes to anchor India’s innings with an aggressive display.

India suffered an early setback when Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for nine, but Samson steadied the innings with a crucial 97-run partnership for the second wicket with Ishan Kishan, who contributed a quick 39 off 18 balls. Samson later added 43 runs for the third wicket with Shivam Dube, who scored a brisk 43 off 25 deliveries.

Samson reached his half-century in just 26 balls, marking his second consecutive fifty in the tournament. He was eventually dismissed while attempting a big shot, caught by Phil Salt off Will Jacks.

Late fireworks from Hardik Pandya, who scored 27 off 12 balls, and Tilak Varma, who struck 21 off just seven deliveries, powered India past the 250-run mark. For England, Will Jacks and Adil Rashid picked up two wickets each.

In reply, England lost early wickets in the powerplay as Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy struck to reduce them to 68/3 after six overs. However, England fought back strongly through Jacob Bethell, who produced a stunning century to keep his team in the contest.

Bethell stitched important partnerships with Jos Buttler and Tom Banton before adding a crucial 77-run stand with Will Jacks and a 50-run partnership with Sam Curran to keep England in the chase.

The turning point came when Pandya dismissed Curran in the penultimate over, increasing the pressure on England. With 30 runs required off the final over, Shivam Dube was handed the ball. A sharp fielding effort resulted in Bethell’s dismissal on the first delivery of the over, effectively ending England’s hopes.

England eventually finished at 246/7 in 20 overs, falling short by seven runs as India advanced to the T20 World Cup final for the second consecutive time.