India set 254-run target for England in ICC World Cup semi-final
Cricket
England win the toss and opt to field against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final at Wankhede Stadium, with the winner set to face New Zealand in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.
MUMBAI (Dunya News) - India posted a huge total of 253 for 7 in the second semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup being played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
England captain Harry Brook won the toss and elected to field first, inviting India to bat.
Batting first, India piled up 253 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Sanju Samson led the charge with a brilliant 89-run knock. He was well supported by Shivam Dube, who scored 43, while Ishan Kishan contributed 39 runs.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav managed 11 runs, and Abhishek Sharma added nine to the total.
Earlier, England captain Harry Brook won the toss and elected to field first against India in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, setting the stage for a high-pressure contest with a place in the final on the line.
The winner of the clash will meet New Zealand in the tournament final scheduled for Sunday in Ahmedabad, adding further intensity to an encounter between two teams known for their aggressive approach in the shortest format.
The flip of this glorious toss coin has gone England's way at the Wankhede, who have asked India to bat first in the #T20WorldCup semi-final
— ICC (@ICC) March 5, 2026
Captured in our Google Pixel Shot of the Day! pic.twitter.com/c8SLyutpxx
India entered the semi-final widely viewed as favourites, backed by a powerful batting line-up and a bowling attack capable of striking in crucial moments. England, however, arrived with growing momentum after an impressive Super 8 campaign in which they finished top of their group and remained unbeaten.
Toss decision
Speaking after winning the toss, England captain Harry Brook said the team preferred to chase on what appeared to be a good batting surface.
“Looks like a good wicket. We hope to get a good start and then chase it down. India have a lot more experience, we’ll try to assess conditions and play at our best. T20 is fickle. The way we’ve played, we’ve scraped through and that holds us in good stead,” Brook said.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed that his side had also been prepared to bat first.
“We were anyway looking to bat. There is wind around and I don’t think there will be much dew. The mood in the camp is positive. We’ve tightened our screws and our brand of cricket has been different. We are going with the same team,” he said.
Head-to-head history
India and England have faced each other five times previously in the T20 World Cup. India hold a slight edge with three victories while England have won twice.
The rivalry has often produced dramatic contests, and the semi-final in Mumbai adds another chapter to their competitive history in global tournaments.
Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (capt), Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
