Tag: England

MUMBAI: Sanju Samson starred as India defeated England in a high-scoring contest to reach the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand here at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

More to follow….

Chasing a daunting 254, spirited England managed 246-7 in their 20 overs.

England were off to a shaky start as they lost three wickets in the powerplay.  Phil Salt made five before getting caught in the second over.

Meanwhile, skipper Harry Brook and Jos Buttler were sent back for seven and 25 respectively.

Consequently, England were 64-3 when Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton joined hands in a bid to put the chase back on track.

The pair added 30 from 10 balls for the fourth wicket, bringing the team’s total to 95 in 7.3 overs.

Earlier, Sanju Samson 89 from 44 balls powered India to a big total of 253-7 in 20 overs.

After losing Abishek Sharma for nine in the second over, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan laid the foundation for a big total. The pair took the total from 20 to 117 in 9.3 overs.

Kishan made 39 from 18 with the help of two sixes and four boundaries.

After his departure, Samson continued on, forging another partnership of 43 runs with Shivam Dube.

He eventually got caught off a wider delivery from Will Jacks on the score of 89. The right-hander hit seven maximums and eight fours in his 42 balls knock.

Despite his wicket, England’s bowlers could not stem the flow of runs. Dube hit 43 off 25 while Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma also chipped in with 27 and 21, respectively.

For England, Adil Rashid and Will Jacks picked up two wickets.

Playing XIs

India XI: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

England XI: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Tom Banton, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Liam Dawson, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Adil Rashid.

READ: Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed join Pakistan men’s selection committee

MUMBAI: England have won the toss and decided to bowl first against India in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

Playing XIs

India XI: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

England XI: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Tom Banton, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Liam Dawson, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Adil Rashid.

Head to Head

India and England have faced each other 29 times in T20Is, with the Men in Blue emerging victorious on 17 occasions while the Three Lions have managed to win 12 games.

READ: Finn Allen smashes multiple records with T20 World Cup semi-final blitz

India will need a “special performance” to beat a “street-smart” England in their T20 World Cup semi-final in Mumbai, bowling coach Morne Morkel warned on Wednesday.

Sanju Samson’s sparkling 97 not out enabled India to chase down 196 against the West Indies in a winner-takes-all clash on Sunday in Kolkata.

Morne said India would again need someone “to put their hand up” against Harry Brook’s side on Thursday night to keep the nation’s dream of a home World Cup win alive.

Morkel agreed India had not put together a flawless display in the tournament yet, but said that did not matter.

“We haven’t really spoken about the perfect game,” Morne told reporters at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium after India’s final training session before Thursday’s big clash.

“It’s not about how you get to the semi-finals. It’s about the next two games, how we’re going to play there.

“I think the quality of this team has been shown that on the day somebody will put their hand up.

“Then hopefully, especially tomorrow night, we can put that special performance in.”

It is the third T20 World Cup in a row that India will play England in the semi-finals.

Both previous times the winners went on to lift the trophy.

In 2022, England crushed India by 10 wickets in Adelaide and beat Pakistan in the Melbourne final.

Two years ago India won in Guyana by a similarly dominant 68 runs before downing South Africa in Barbados.

This time, though, India will have the backing of 35,000 fiercely partisan fans in Mumbai.

“It’s a big occasion tomorrow night here, a semi-final, a great stadium to play a great game of cricket,” said Morkel.

“So hopefully the boys can rock up tomorrow and just be calm and execute those skills.”

India are leaving nothing to chance in their preparations.

Training on Tuesday night was delayed by an hour so it did not coincide with a lunar eclipse, which is considered unlucky in India.

“I was told about the lunar eclipse and the session was pushed backwards,” admitted Morkel.

“I think the most important thing to focus on was the quality the guys put in at training, which was great to see.”

India hosted the T20 World Cup in 2016 and lost in a Mumbai semi-final to eventual champions the West Indies.

India are wary of the threat posed by England, who were shaky in the group phase but powered through the Super Eights with wins over Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand.

“They’re a team that’s street smart. Obviously there’s a lot of quality in their side,” said Morkel.

“Their batting is deep, which makes them a very dangerous side. With the ball, they’ve got a lot of attacking options.

“The way they approach a T20 game, fearless, trying to take the game on, will give you opportunities.

“Tomorrow is going to be a good shoot-out between two aggressive teams.”

READ: PCB unveils squads and schedule for National T20 Cup 2026

COLOMBO: England sealed a nervy last-over victory against New Zealand in the Group 2 Super Eight fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the RPS Stadium on Friday.

Set a stiff 160, England managed to secure a thrilling victory in the last over.

England lost wickets early and looked like they would be squeezed out at 117-6, needing 43 from the last three overs.

But Ahmed and Jacks took 22 off the 18th over from Glenn Phillips to turn the match on its head.

Ahmed blasted 19 off seven balls in his first T20 World Cup match.

Jacks made an unbeaten 32 off 18 as the pair saw England to 161-6 with three balls to spare.

Jacks, who also took 2-23 to be England’s leading bowler, was named player of the match for an incredible fourth time in seven T20 World Cup outings this campaign.

England will move on to a semi-final in Mumbai on Thursday against either India or the West Indies, who clash on Sunday to decide the last semi-final berth.

New Zealand now have to sweat on the outcome of Saturday’s clash between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Kandy which will decide the second semi-finalist from Super Eights Group 2.

Pakistan have an inferior run rate to New Zealand so will need to win by 65 runs or inside 13 overs, if chasing, to deny the Kiwis.

England spinners spun a web around the New Zealand batting lineup, restricting them from imposing an important total.

Opting to bat first, New Zealand managed 159-7 at the end of their 20 overs.

Tim Seifert and Finn Allen laid a solid foundation with a 64-run partnership in seven overs.

Adil Rashid broke the threatening stand as Siefert was stumped, courtesy of a brilliant piece of work from Jos Buttler behind the stumps. The right-hander made 35 off 25, smashing two sixes and three fours.

The second wicket also fell in quick succession. Finn Allen was caught off Will Jacks’ bowling after managing 29 from 19 with the aid of three sixes.

After a double blow, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra stabilized the innings with a 31-run partnership.

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The scorecard read when Ravindra fell prey to Rehan Ahmed. He scored 11 off 13.

After a solid start, New Zealand’s middle order crumbled with England spinners tightening the screws.

The only notable batter was Glenn Phillips, who hit a vital 39 from 28 balls with the help of a six and four boundaries.

The right-hander stood firm when wickets tumbled around him. As New Zealand collapsed to 123-4 to 135-6 in 17.1 overs.

Eventually, they managed to put a respectable total on the board at the end of the innings.

For England, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid, and Rehan Ahmed shared six wickets between them.

READ: Salman wary of ‘critical situation’ before Sri Lanka clash

COLOMBO: New Zealand have won the toss and decided to bat first against England in the Group 2 Super Eight fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the RPS Stadium on Friday.

Playing XIs

England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (w), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid.

New Zealand: Tim Seifert (w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi and Lockie Ferguson.

Head to Head

New Zealand and England have played each other 27 times in 20 over format. The Three Lions are ahead with 16 wins, while BlacCaps have managed to win 10 games.

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KANDY: Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi admitted that his side’s failure to stitch together a meaningful partnership cost them dearly in their two-wicket defeat to England in the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Tuesday.

In a high-intensity contest at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan posted 164-9 after being put in to bat.

England, however, chased down the target in the final over despite losing eight wickets, riding on a superb century from skipper Harry Brook.

Afridi, who produced a fiery spell of 4-30 and removed the well-set Brook, was left to ponder what might have been.

The left-arm pacer believed Pakistan fell short primarily due to their inability to build momentum through the middle overs.

“I feel on a wicket like this you need a partnership and a set batter who can bat through the middle overs,” Afridi said after the match.

“But unfortunately, we lost wickets back to back, which is why we did not reach that 180-190 score.”

Pakistan’s innings never quite found stability. Several batters got starts, but none were able to convert them into a commanding stand.

The middle order, in particular, struggled to rotate strike regularly against a disciplined England attack.

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Shaheen Afridi pointed to the importance of maintaining a steady flow of singles and twos, a factor he felt England executed far better.

“If you see, when England batted, Harry Brook stayed at the crease. He was rotating the strike and building partnerships. I think we missed that opportunity,” he said.

“A partnership means you need someone at the crease who can take singles and twos. In a T20 innings, you need eight or nine runs an over consistently if you want to build partnerships.”

The surface at Pallekele was noticeably fresher compared to the one used in England’s previous outing against Sri Lanka, offering better conditions for stroke play. In hindsight, Pakistan’s total of 164 appeared slightly under par.

Shaheen Afridi also credited England leg-spinner Adil Rashid for tightening the screws during the middle phase.

“I think that middle phase, Adil Rashid bowled really well, so credit goes to him as well,” he added.

Despite Afridi’s impressive four-wicket haul, Pakistan were left to rue a missed opportunity as England sealed qualification to the semi-finals.

For Pakistan, the defeat has left their campaign hanging by a thread, with little room for further error in the tournament.

READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan’s semi-final qualification scenario explained

KANDY: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha opened up after a narrow loss against England in the Super Eight clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Pakistan set England a challenging 165 here under lights at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

However, England skipper Harry Brook made the target look easy with his sublime century.

The right-hander made 100 off 51 balls, striking four sixes and 10 boundaries.

Speaking after the match, Agha highlighted the shortcomings and praised Brook for his brilliance with the bat.

“Started well with the bat, but couldn’t finish the way we wanted to. But some days you have to give credit to other batters. I think Harry batted brilliantly,” he said in the post-match presentation.

“Our score was a bit short. And then Brook took the game away from us. We threw everything at him,” he continued.

Pakistan captain, the leading run scorer of the tournament, Sahibzada Farha’s performance, noting that the other batters could not step up to the occasion.

“I think he’s batted very well throughout the World Cup. Other batters haven’t played the way we wanted to, but it can happen like that in World Cups, the skipper maintained.

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For Pakistan, it was returning Shaheen Afridi who impressed with the ball, picking up a four-wicket haul.

“He bowled really well today.  He’s famous for early wickets, and he did that today,” Salman Ali Agha said of Shaheen.

He concluded by saying that England played Pakistan bowling really well, particularly their nemesis, Brook, who took the game away from them.

“Whenever we play against England and lose, it’s always him [Harry Brook] have to say hats off to him and the way he batted today.”

“Very challenging, the way he batted. He can play all around the ground so it can get challenging.”

“The way Nawaz bowled the 19th over, I thought maybe, you never know. Even if there’s a 1% chance, my team will go for it,” he concluded.

READ: Brook hits ton as England qualify for T20 World Cup semis

KANDY: Skipper Harry Brook’s sublime century powered sloppy England to a two-wicket win over Pakistan in the Super Eight clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Set a stiff 165, England chipped away towards the target despite a stutter in the last over, losing eight wickets in the process.

With this win, England qualified for the T20 World Cup semi-final.

England were off to a shaky start as they lost three wickets inside the first five overs. Shaheen Afridi sent back Phil Salt for a duck in the first over. Soon after, Jos Buttler also fell, whose horror run continued in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Jacob Bethell fell prey to Shaheen Afridi on eight despite providing relief in the previous over.

The wicket-keeper only managed two from three balls. As a result, England were reduced to 35-3 in 4.5 overs.

With the side in early trouble, Harry Brook launched a rescue act for the ages, holding the innings together with a string of partnerships alongside the middle-order.

Despite the wickets tumbling around him, Brook made the chase look easy with elegant stroke play.

Brook shepherd the chase with measured stands alongside Tom Banton and Sam Curran, adding 23 and 45 runs respectively.

He later found crucial support from Will Jacks, the pair putting on 52 for the sixth wicket to wrest control from Pakistan.

Afridi returned to end Brook’s innings on the final ball of the 17th over, but England held their nerve.

Jacks fell for 28 to Mohammad Nawaz, who also had Jamie Overton stumped in the same over to set up a tense finish.

Needing three from the final over with two wickets in hand, Jofra Archer struck Salman Mirza for a boundary off the first ball to clinch victory.

Afridi was Pakistan’s standout bowler with 4-30, while Usman Tariq Nawaz claimed two wickets.

Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan’s gutsy half-century lifted Pakistan to a fighting total against England.

Opting to bat first, Pakistan managed to score 164-9 in their 20 overs.

Pakistan were jolted with an early blow in the shape of Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha’s dismissal.

Saim was caught at short mid-wicket in a bid to pull Jofra Archer. He only made seven. While skipper Salman fell cheaply to Liam Dawson after managing five.

As a result, the Green Shirts were pegged back with two down for 27 in 3.3 overs.

Following the hiccup, Babar Azam and Sahizada Farhan held the innings together with a 46-run stand. The pair stabilized the innings and brought the scorecard to 73 in 10.5 overs.

Jamie Overton ended the threatening stand with Babar’s wicket, who chopped on after a cautious knock of 25 from 24 with the aid of two fours.

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Meanwhile, Sahibzada Farhan continued and struck a partnership with Rusty Fakhar Zaman after chewing up a few deliveries.

Both added 49 off 30 balls for the fourth wicket partnership, bringing the total to 112 in 15.4 overs.

Farhan, who was going well, was trapped lbw after hitting a six and a four to Overton. He made 63 off 45, including two sixes and seven fours.

Following his wicket, England got hold of the Pakistan innings with a few quick wickets. As a result, they slumped to 132-5 149-8 in 18.3 overs.

Shadab Khan played a vital knock of 23 from 11 with the aid of four boundaries to take Pakistan’s score to 164.

For England, Liam Dawson picked up three wickets in his four overs.

READ: Santner ready for spin test with eye on Pakistan-England clash

KANDY: Pakistan have won the toss and opted to bat first against England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight clash here at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Pakistan have made one change to their side as fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, who was left out of the XI against New Zealand, has returned, replacing all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.

Playing XIs

England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Tom Banton, 5 Harry Brook (capt), 6 Sam Curran, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Jamie Overton, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Adil Rashid

Pakistan: 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Salman Ali Agha (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Fakhar Zaman, 6 Shadab Khan, 7 Usman Khan (wk), 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Salman Mirza, 11 Usman Tariq

Head to Head 

England and Pakistan have played 31 T20Is against each other, with the Three Lions leading by 21 games, while Pakistan have won only 9.

In the T20 World Cup, England remain unbeaten against Pakistan, having won all three matches.

Matches: 31, ENG 21, PAK 9, NR: 1

READ: Pakistan-India clash confirmed as ICC unveils Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 schedule

KANDY: The much-anticipated Super Eight clash between Pakistan and England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is expected to proceed without weather interruptions at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

After rain washed out Pakistan’s previous fixture against New Zealand in Colombo, all eyes were on the forecast in Kandy.

However, the latest weather update offers encouraging signs, with mostly clear skies predicted around the 7:00 PM start time.

The temperature is expected to hover around 27°C, with a RealFeel of 28°C.

Humidity levels remain high at 68%, creating a sticky atmosphere, while the dew point of 20°C suggests significant moisture in the air, a factor that could influence conditions later in the evening.

Light northwest winds of 6 km/h, with occasional gusts up to 13 km/h, are unlikely to have a major impact.

Cloud cover is minimal at 14%, visibility stands at 16 kilometres, and the cloud ceiling is positioned at 9,100 metres, indicating stable conditions for play.

The AccuLumen Brightness Index points to complete darkness, consistent with typical evening conditions under lights.

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While the weather appears favourable, air quality concerns have been flagged, particularly for individuals with respiratory issues.

The clear forecast comes as a relief after Pakistan’s Super Eight opener against New Zealand was abandoned at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium due to persistent rain.

The match was called off more than two-and-a-half hours after captain Salman Ali Agha had won the toss and opted to bat, resulting in both teams sharing a point.

With only the top two teams from each Super Eight group progressing to the semi-finals on March 4 and 5, every fixture carries added significance.

Historically, England have dominated this rivalry in the shortest format. In 31 T20 Internationals between the sides, England have won 21, Pakistan nine, while one match was abandoned.

In T20 World Cup contests specifically, England hold a 3-0 record over Pakistan.

Squads

Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq.

England: Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue and Luke Wood.

READ: T20 World Cup: West Indies thrash Zimbabwe in Super Eight clash