India beats England, enter T20 World Cup 2026 final

Defending champions India held their nerve in a run-fest to beat England by seven runs in the second semifinal and secure a place in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final on Thursday.

India will now face New Zealand in the title clash on Sunday.

Batting first, India came out all guns blazing. Opener Sanju Samson led the charge with a breathtaking 89 off just 42 balls, striking seven sixes and eight fours. His aggressive knock set the tone for a massive total of 253 for seven. He was well supported by Shivam Dube (43), Ishan Kishan (39), Hardik Pandya (27) and Tilak Varma (21), who ensured the scoreboard kept moving at a rapid pace.

Chasing 254, England responded strongly, with Jacob Bethell producing a stunning 105 off 48 deliveries to keep his team in the contest.

Despite his brilliant effort, England finished at 246 for seven, falling short in the final overs as India tightened the screws under pressure.

With the ball, Jasprit Bumrah bowled a disciplined spell, finishing with 1 for 33, while Hardik Pandya chipped in with two key wickets.

Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy also picked up a wicket each to help India defend the total in a tense finish.

It was a complete team performance from India, combining explosive batting with timely breakthroughs, as they moved one step closer to retaining their T20 World Cup crown