Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: India are heading into their sixth T20 World Cup semi-final in 10 editions and will take on England at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, hoping to defend their title.Their journey in this tournament goes back to 2007, when they reached the semis in the very first edition. India beat Australia in Durban and then defeated Pakistan in the final in Johannesburg to win their first T20 World Cup.
Gautam Gambhir scored 75 in the final, while bowlers like RP Singh and Irfan Pathan played key roles under captain MS Dhoni.After that high, India failed to make the semis in 2009, 2010 and 2012. They returned to the last four in 2014, beating South Africa thanks to Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 72. However, despite Kohli’s 77 in the final, Sri Lanka chased down 131 to deny India the trophy.In 2016, at home, India again reached the semis but lost to eventual champions West Indies in Mumbai.A big moment came in 2022 when India faced England in a knockout for the first time. India made 168/6, with Kohli and Hardik Pandya scoring fifties, but England’s openers chased it down without losing a wicket, winning by 10 wickets before lifting the title.The rivalry continued in 2024. India batted first and scored 171, led by Rohit Sharma’s 57. This time, England collapsed for 103, and India won by 68 runs. They went on to beat South Africa in the final and claim their second T20 World Cup title.Now, India and England are set to meet in the semi-final for the third straight edition. And it is expected to add another chapter to their growing World Cup rivalry.
