India booked its place in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final after defeating England by seven runs in a thrilling semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. In a high-scoring contest filled with dramatic moments, India held its nerve to defend a massive total despite a stunning century from England’s Jacob Bethell.

Chasing a daunting target after India posted 253 for seven, England mounted a spirited reply but ultimately fell short, finishing on 246 for seven.

England’s chase began poorly as they lost opener Philip Salt and captain Harry Brook early in the innings. Axar Patel played a key role in both dismissals, showcasing sharp fielding skills. Brook’s stay ended when Axar sprinted from cover and dived to catch a mistimed shot, triggering celebrations from bowlers Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah.

Jos Buttler tried to accelerate the scoring but misjudged his attack on Varun Chakaravarthy. Attempting an ambitious heave after Bethell had smashed the spinner for three consecutive sixes, Buttler’s gamble backfired as his stumps were shattered.

Despite the setbacks, England continued to push forward, largely powered by Bethell’s remarkable batting. The left-hander dominated the bowling attack and kept the chase alive with an impressive 105-run knock.

Tom Banton also contributed with a quick burst of scoring, smashing 17 runs from just five deliveries, while Will Jacks added momentum to the chase. Jacks’ innings ended dramatically when Axar Patel sprinted to catch his aerial shot and relayed the ball to Shivam Dube before tumbling over the boundary rope.

With England still relying heavily on Bethell, the match remained tense until the final over. The batter’s confidence was evident when he swatted Bumrah for a boundary down the leg side. However, England’s hopes were shattered when Bethell was run out in the last over, effectively sealing India’s victory.

Earlier, England had won the toss and opted to field. India’s innings was anchored by Sanju Samson, who produced a brilliant knock of 89 runs. He attacked England’s pace spearhead Jofra Archer early, hitting a boundary straight down the ground before pulling a short delivery for six.

Abhishek Sharma started positively but was caught in the deep after hitting two boundaries off Will Jacks. Ishan Kishan then built a strong partnership with Samson, taking advantage of the spinners and pace bowlers alike.

Samson survived an early scare when Brook dropped a catch off Archer while he was on 15. The reprieve proved costly as the wicketkeeper-batter accelerated against the spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson and later pulled Sam Curran for a towering six.

Kishan eventually departed, but Samson continued his aggressive approach, smashing two more sixes before falling for 89.

India maintained the scoring momentum through contributions from Shivam Dube, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma. Tilak provided one of the highlights by striking Archer for three consecutive sixes before being bowled.

India’s strong total ultimately proved just enough, even as Bethell’s extraordinary century briefly threatened to turn the semifinal in England’s favour.