MUMBAI: Defending champions India defeated England by seven runs in the second semifinal to storm into the summit clash of the T20 World Cup here on Thursday.

Batting first after England captain Harry Brook opted to field, India national cricket team produced a batting masterclass, piling up a formidable 253/7 in their 20 overs. The charge was led by Sanju Samson, who hammered a scintillating 89 off just 42 deliveries. His explosive knock, laced with boundaries and towering sixes, set the tone for India’s imposing total, while crucial cameos from the middle order ensured the scoreboard kept racing.

England, however, refused to back down. Youngster Jacob Bethell played a sensational innings, smashing 105 off 48 balls to keep the chase alive deep into the final overs. His fearless strokeplay threatened to turn the match in England’s favour as the required run rate remained within reach.

But India’s bowlers held their nerve when it mattered most. Tight death bowling from Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh, along with a brilliant fielding effort from Axar Patel, ensured India sealed a dramatic seven-run victory.

With the win, India booked their place in the final, where they will face New Zealand national cricket team on Sunday in a high-stakes title clash.

Brief Scores

India 253/7 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 89, Shivam Dube 43; Will Jacks 2/40) beat England 246/7 in 20 overs (Jacob Bethell 105; Hardik Pandya 2/38) by seven runs.

West Indies head coach and former T20 World Cup winner Darren Sammy took to social media on Wednesday to express his frustration after being stranded in India following his team’s elimination from the T20 World Cup 2026.

“I just wanna go home,” Sammy posted on X, a simple message that captured the growing anxiety of cricketers caught in an unprecedented travel crisis.

The West Indies cricket team has been left stranded in Kolkata following their exit from the tournament, as escalating tensions in the Middle East have led to the closure of air spaces across West Asia. The Caribbean side, which played its Super 8 match against India in Kolkata, was scheduled to depart India shortly after its elimination.

However, the shutdown of Dubai Airport and the wider closure of West Asian airspace have severely disrupted international flight schedules, leaving the team unable to return home as planned. What should have been a straightforward journey home has turned into a waiting game with no clear end in sight.

The West Indies are not the only cricket team stuck in India. Zimbabwe’s squad faced the same problem but managed to find a way out with help from the ICC.

According to a statement from Zimbabwe Cricket, the ICC stepped in to secure alternative travel arrangements after their original flights via Dubai on Emirates were cancelled. The team is now returning to Harare in batches via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“Due to flight availability and revised routing, the squad will return to Harare in batches. The first group of players departed India today, Wednesday, while the final group is scheduled to leave on Friday afternoon,” the board said.

Zimbabwe’s journey home has taken a completely different route than planned, but at least they have a route. For the West Indies, however, there has been no official update on their travel plans.

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad denied they “choked” in their T20 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand, preferring to call their nine-wicket defeat a sound “walloping” at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.

A blistering 33-ball century by Finn Allen, the fastest in T20 World Cup history, sent New Zealand into the final with a dominant nine-wicket win over previously unbeaten South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Wednesday.

The 2024 runners-up went into the match as the only unbeaten team in this year’s T20 World Cup, whose seven wins in a row included a seven-wicket thrashing of New Zealand in a group match. 

New Zealand, however, turned the tables in spectacular fashion with Finn Allen smashing an unbeaten 33-ball hundred to secure their nine-wicket romp with more than seven overs to spare.

South Africa have never advanced beyond the semi-finals in the 50-overs World Cup and Conrad anticipated that the ‘choker’ label would resurface.

“Tonight was not a choke. I thought it was a bloody walloping,” Conrad told reporters managing to retain his sense of humour.

“Tonight we got a proper ‘snotklap’,” he said before explaining the meaning of the Afrikaans word – “a real hiding”. 

“So I think there’ll be enough people that are going to be jumping on the bandwagon. But, yeah, we also did so many special things. I’m so proud of all these guys.

“I don’t think many people gave us much of a chance of even getting into a semi-final when we left the shores given our form before that but that’s no consolation.”

New Zealand’s spinners were exceptional

Conrad felt New Zealand put themselves in the box seat when they restricted South Africa’s explosive batting lineup to a modest 169-8. 

“They gave us absolutely nothing, and they really squeezed particularly well. Their spinners were exceptional in those conditions.”

“Obviously it would have been a nice toss to win, but that’s no excuse. We didn’t post anything close to what would have been competitive.”

Player-of-the-match Allen said New Zealand’s bowlers set up their win and heaped praise on his opening partner Tim Seifert, who combined with him in a decisive opening stand of 117.

“Timmy started off really strongly, and he looked to get on top of their bowlers early, which then made it easy for me to settle into my innings,” Allen said.

“For me, I just looked to play almost a support role to Tim. If it was in my area, I’d try and hit it for four or six, and if it wasn’t, just get a single and get him on strike.

“He just kept dealing in boundaries, which he’s been doing all tournament. He’s in incredible form, he’s an incredible player.”