India sealed a place in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after edging past the England cricket team by seven runs in a thrilling semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The victory was powered by a stunning innings from Sanju Samson, whose aggressive 89 helped India post a massive total of 253 runs, one of the highest scores recorded in a T20 World Cup knockout match.
Samson once again proved why he is such a dangerous batter in high-pressure games. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter had earlier smashed an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies cricket team in the tournament, and he followed it up with another match-defining knock against England. His fearless approach at the top allowed India to dominate the powerplay and maintain the momentum through the middle overs.
Speaking after the match, Sanju Samson downplayed the discussion around narrowly missing out on centuries in both innings. “Brother, I haven’t missed two centuries. I’ve made scores of 97 and 89, which is a big deal in itself. I’m very grateful for that. It’s all going well,” he added.
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The opener explained that his primary goal is always to give India a strong start, especially during the crucial powerplay phase.
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“You’ve seen and followed my game for years. If I feel good, I try to give a good start for my team, and as you know, these days powerplay can make or break your game. So as soon as you see a couple of deliveries, you try to attack. Like Abhishek does, or Ishan does.”
Sanju Samson also highlighted the importance of maintaining an aggressive mindset despite the risks involved.
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“The top-3 batters need to explode in the powerplay and sometimes you end up on the negative side of the results, and sometimes on the positive side.” Looking ahead, India will now face New Zealand national cricket team in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, with the team aiming to successfully defend their world title.
