Despite a solid hundred from Jacob Bethell, India managed to secure a narrow 7-run victory against England in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2026.

By this win, India secured a spot in the finals and will be facing New Zealand on March 08 at Narendra Modi Stadium.

After being invited to bat first, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opened the innings while Jofra Archer opened the bowling attack.

Will Jacks bagged the wicket of Abhishek Sharma, and with Ishan Kishan at the crease, Sanju Samson and Kishan made a solid stance as India scored 67 runs in the power play.

Ishan Kishan scored 39 runs off 18 deliveries before being dismissed by Adil Rashid. In the meantime, Sanju Samson scored 89 runs off 42 deliveries before Will Jacks bagged his wicket. Shivam Dube, who came to bat, made 43 runs off 25 deliveries.

Suryakumar, who came to bat, scored 11 runs before being dismissed by Adil Rashid. With Hardik Pandya joining Dube at the crease, Dube got dismissed on a runout.

With a cameos from Hardik Pandya (27) and Tilak Varma (21), India went on to cross 250 run mark. A two from Axar Patel set up India’s score of 253 runs in their 20-over innings.

Chasing 254 runs, Phil Salt and Jos Buttler opened the innings while Arshdeep Singh opened the bowling attack.

Hardik Pandya picked the wicket of Phil Salt for 5 runs, while Bumrah picked the wicket of Harry Brook for 7 runs. Jos Buttler’s dismissal for 25 runs by Varun Chakravarthy has made England lose three wickets in the powerplay.

By the end of the power play, England scored 68 runs. Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton made a solid stance, forging a 77-run partnership for the 5th wicket.

With Axar Patel bagging the wicket of Tom Banton for 17 runs, Will Jacks made a 20-ball 35 runs before being dismissed by Arshdeep Singh.

In the meantime, Jacob Bethell smashed fifty and continued on-field slaughter while playing alongside Sam Curran.

With high-pressure deathovers, Jasprit Bumrah gave only 6 runs in the 18th over, helping the side put pressure on England.

Jacob Bethell smashed a 45-ball ton and went on to score 105 runs. Meanwhile, Sam Curran lost his wicket for 18 runs, and with Jamie Overton and Jacob Bethell at the crease, England needed 30 runs in the final over.

Jacob Bethell got dismissed on a run out after trying to keep strike. With his dismissal, Jofra Archer came to bat and hit three sixes. By the end of 20 overs, England went on to score 246 runs and suffered a narrow defeat.

Sanju Samson was named the Player of the Match. Speaking on the post-match presentation, Samson said, “Feels really great. To be honest, I kind of knew that I got some form going from the last game, so I thought I needed to continue. I think it’s not easy to find form at the crucial games for your country, so I thought big game, I need to make the most out of how I’m batting.”