Kamal Ghorui
India piled up a huge total of 253/7 against England in the T20 World Cup semi-final at Wankhede, thanks mainly to a brilliant knock from Sanju Samson. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed 89 off just 42 balls, hitting eight fours and seven sixes, after already scoring an unbeaten 97 in the previous match. He built strong partnerships with Ishan Kishan (39 off 18) and Shivam Dube (43 off 25), putting England’s bowlers under pressure early in the innings.
England captain Harry Brook had won the toss and chose to bowl first, but India started aggressively. Samson attacked from the first over, taking on Jofra Archer and other bowlers with powerful shots across the ground. He also got a lifeline early when Brook dropped a simple catch at mid-on. After that, Samson continued to dominate and reached his fifty in just 26 balls, adding 97 runs with Kishan for the second wicket.The momentum slowed slightly toward the end as England picked up a few wickets. Samson fell while trying to reach his maiden T20 World Cup century, caught by Phil Salt off Will Jacks. Suryakumar Yadav scored only 11, and Dube was run out after a mix-up with Hardik Pandya, who contributed a quick 27 off 12 balls. Tilak Varma also chipped in with a late cameo, hitting 27 off just seven balls.During England’s fielding struggles, former England captain Michael Vaughan joked on social media about their poor catching. “My fielding academy might have to open again,” Vaughan said on X.Despite the late wickets, India’s massive total left England with a very challenging target in the high-pressure semi-final clash.
