 "India's T20 world cup semi-final was confirmed after Sanju Samson helped them beat West Indies. Image: AP")
India confirmed a semi-final with England at the Wankhede Stadium in the T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday (1 March) with a statement-making five-wicket win against the West Indies. India were in a spot of bother after West Indies scored 195/4 batting first in the virtual knockout at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
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But Sanju Samson’s stylish 97 not out off just 50 balls helped India win the Super 8 match with four balls to spare as they became the final team to reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026.
Samson stood tall even as wickets tumbled at the other end , and the 12 fours and four sixes that came off his bat were collected at regular intervals to keep the asking rate in check. He built important partnerships with multiple batters, the most crucial among them being his 42-run stand for the fourth wicket with Tilak Varma, who chipped in with a handy 27 off 15 balls.
India’s T20 World Cup semi-final details
India will face the Super 8 Group 2 winner, England, in the second semi-final on Thursday (5 March) at the Wankhede Stadium. England qualified for the semi-finals by winning all three Super 8 matches against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Thursday’s showdown at the Wankhede Stadium will be the third consecutive T20 World Cup semi-final showdown between India and England. Interestingly, the winner of the previous two encounters between these two teams went on to win the tournament. England had thrashed India by 10 wickets in the 2022 semi-final in Adelaide while the Men in Blue avenged that defeat two years later in the Caribbean, hammering the Jos Buttler-led side by 68 runs in Guyana.
India lost their first Super 8 match to South Africa by 76 runs before making a comeback with victories against Zimbabwe and the West Indies. The Men in Blue thrashed Zimbabwe by 72 runs after posting a record 256/4 on the board, before sealing their spot in the semi-finals with a five-wicket victory over two-time champions West Indies.
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View AllThe first semi-final is between Super 8 Group 1 winner, South Africa, and New Zealand on Wednesday (4 March) in Kolkata.