Hardik Pandya interacts with Dhoni and his son Agastya. (Video grabs)

NEW DELHI: India’s thrilling win over England in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the iconic Wankhede Stadium produced many memorable moments on the field, but it was an emotional off-field interaction involving Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni and Pandya’s son Agastya that has taken social media by storm.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Pandya played a crucial all-round role in India’s dramatic seven-run victory. The flamboyant all-rounder smashed 27 off just 12 balls to give India a late push with the bat and then returned to pick up two key wickets during England’s chase. He also produced a decisive moment in the field by running out England’s centurion Jacob Bethell, whose brilliant 105 had nearly taken the game away from India.

But the internet was equally captivated by a heartwarming moment after the match.A viral video shows Pandya looking up towards the stands to greet Dhoni, who was watching from the gallery as fans erupted in cheers. During the interaction, Pandya’s girlfriend Mahieka Sharma brought his son Agastya next to Dhoni, creating a wholesome scene that quickly spread across social media.Dhoni was then seen helping the youngster locate his father, pointing down towards the players’ tunnel that leads to the dressing room. The touching moment between the legendary former captain and the young fan — Pandya’s son — melted hearts online.An Instagram user who shared the clip summed it up perfectly: “Moments like these are pure gold.”WATCH: Earlier in the match, India had produced a batting masterclass after being asked to bat first. Sanju Samson led the charge with a blazing 89 off 42 balls, his second successive half-century of the tournament. He stitched vital partnerships with Ishan Kishan (39 off 18) and Shivam Dube (43 off 25) as India piled up a massive 253/7 in 20 overs.England fought back bravely thanks to Bethell’s sensational century, but India’s bowlers held their nerve at the death. Jasprit Bumrah delivered a brilliant 18th over, conceding just six runs, before Pandya’s tight penultimate over swung the match decisively.England eventually finished on 246/7, falling seven runs short despite a valiant effort.India will now face New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, aiming to become the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title.

England captain Harry Brook speaks with Sam Curran and Jos Buttler. (Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: England captain Harry Brook admitted that costly fielding lapses — including a dropped catch of Sanju Samson — played a decisive role in his side’s defeat to India in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Thursday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking during the post-match presentation, Brook conceded that England misread the conditions and failed to execute their plans, particularly in the field, allowing India to post a daunting total.

“We thought there might have been hold, spin in the first innings, slid onto the bat nicely, and India batted well. I’ll hold my hands up and admit I made a big mistake dropping Samson. We weren’t good enough in the field. We misexecuted, and can’t afford to do that against India,” Brook said.The turning point came when Brook dropped Samson while the Indian batter was on just 15. The chance, off the bowling of Jofra Archer, proved extremely costly as Samson went on to anchor India’s innings with a commanding knock.Samson’s blistering 89 off 42 balls powered India to a formidable 253/7, a total that eventually proved just out of England’s reach.

“Yeah, catches win matches, don’t they? Unfortunately, it didn’t stay in my hands and yeah, it’s just one of those things. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch it and he played a very, very good innings as well and arguably won them the game,” Brook said.The England skipper admitted that the missed opportunity stayed on his mind throughout the chase.“Obviously, it’s in the back of your mind as the game goes on. I kept on looking at the scoreboard and he was piling the runs on. I was like, ‘I’m going to have to get an 80 or 90 tonight.’ Not ideal, but it’s happened now,” he added.Despite the defeat, Brook found positives in England’s spirited chase, particularly praising young batter Jacob Bethell for his fearless century.Bethell smashed 105 off just 48 balls, while Will Jacks contributed 35 during a counter-attacking partnership that briefly revived England’s hopes.“Bethell was absolutely unbelievable, he’ll earn some serious money. To see him taking it from ball one showed the world what he can do,” Brook said.England eventually finished on 246/7, falling agonisingly short despite Bethell’s heroics and a late blitz from Archer. Brook, however, insisted his side could still take pride in their campaign.“We had a good tournament; we should be extremely proud of how we played. We stuck to it the whole game; unfortunately, we were on the wrong side,” he said.

England’s Jacob Bethell (ANI Photo)

England’s young batter Jacob Bethell delivered a stunning performance in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi final against the India national cricket team at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. Although England eventually lost the match by seven runs, Bethell’s sensational century turned the chase into a thrilling contest and etched his name in the record books.Fastest 100s in T20 WC (by balls taken)33 – Finn Allen vs SA, Kolkata, 2026 SF45 – Jacob Bethell vs IND, Mumbai WS, 202647 – Chris Gayle vs ENG, Mumbai WS, 201650 – Chris Gayle vs SA, Johannesburg, 200750 – Harry Brook vs PAK, Pallekele, 2026Chasing a massive target of 254, Bethell produced a fearless knock of 105 from just 48 balls. The left hander attacked from the start and kept England in the hunt with a series of powerful strokes. His innings stood out as the highlight of England’s chase as the team finished on 246 for seven.

The century was historic for multiple reasons. Bethell registered the fastest hundred by an England batter in T20 World Cup history. His fifty also came in just 19 balls, which is the joint fastest half century in T20 World Cup knockout matches. Finn Allen had earlier reached the same milestone in 19 balls against South Africa in the first semi final of the tournament.The 19 ball fifty also became the fastest by an England player in T20 World Cups, surpassing the previous record held by Will Jacks, who had reached a half century in 21 balls earlier in the competition against Italy.Despite Bethell’s extraordinary effort, England could not complete the chase. Earlier in the evening, India had posted a massive 253 on the board. Sanju Samson led the charge with a blistering 89 from 42 balls, while Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma also chipped in with quick runs.India’s bowlers held their nerve in the final stages of the chase. Hardik Pandya picked up two wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah delivered a disciplined spell, finishing with figures of 1 for 33.The match also created history with the combined total of 499 runs becoming the second highest match aggregate in men’s T20 internationals. Despite ending on the losing side, Bethell’s record breaking century will be remembered as one of the most explosive knocks of the tournament and the fastest ever by an England batter in a T20 World Cup.

Indian players celebrate after winning the semifinal.
| Photo Credit: Emanual Yogini

Harry Brook celebrates his century during the T20 World Cup cricket match between England and Pakistan in Pallekele, Sri Lanka. (AP/PTI)

TimesofIndia.com in Kandy: As the adage goes, “tough times don’t last, tough people do.” It syncs beautifully with Harry Brook.In the past few months, the England white-ball captain has been in the news not for his magnificent batting but for his off-field antics. Last year, during the one-day series against New Zealand, he was involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in Wellington. On the same night of the altercation, Brook and England teammate Jacob Bethell were filmed drinking, and the video was later posted on social media.

Brook then lied to the media, saying that he was on his own when he got punched by the nightclub bouncer on England’s tour of New Zealand that preceded the Ashes. He later conceded that it was a lie, as there were others with him and he lied to protect them. Brook was later fined around £30,000 and was given a final warning for his future conduct by the England Cricket Board (ECB).Brook had a frustrating Ashes Down Under, where he managed to cross fifty only twice in ten innings. The, then 26-year-old, finished the Ashes 2025–26 with 358 runs from five Tests at an average of 39.77.In the last two games of the ongoing T20 World Cup, Brook, who celebrated his birthday a couple of days ago, has shown signs of maturity both with the bat and his acumen in the field, which is pivotal for a great leader.

Harry Brook warms up ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eight match between England and Pakistan at Pallekele. (Getty Images)

Against Sri Lanka at Pallakele in Kandy, while defending a modest total of 147, his bowling changes and field placements were right on the money. Against Pakistan on Tuesday, it was his bat that did the talking when his team was under immense pressure. Between these two matches, Brook has aged a year and grown in leaps and bounds as a leader.After his sublime century on a track where his fellow teammates struggled, the England white-ball captain admitted that it has been the “hardest” few months for him as a cricketer.“It’s probably been the hardest winter of my life to be honest,” he told reporters after England’s decisive two-wicket win over Pakistan. “There’s been a lot of stuff behind the scenes as well as not behind the scenes, but yes, it was just nice to see some rewards from my hard work away from the ground.”The chosen one

England’s captain Harry Brook leaves the ground after losing his wicket during the T20 World Cup cricket match between England and Pakistan in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP)

Brook made his international debut in a T20I match four years ago in the West Indies. Since then, his graph has only gone in an upward direction.And without any doubt, he has been the poster boy of “Bazball”, the ultra-aggressive, high-risk, and positive style of play adopted by the England men’s Test cricket team under captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.After hitting his maiden T20I hundred on Tuesday night, Brook revealed that it was coach McCullum’s idea that he should bat at No. 3 against Pakistan, citing his good record against them. “Baz is the mastermind there. He had a discussion with me this morning about going up the order and trying to maximise the powerplay and thankfully it paid off,” Brook said with a smile on his face.Under McCullum, Brook first blossomed as a cricketer. Now, the anointed one is developing into a leader as well. McCullum had backed the youngster when he was going through a tough phase. Earlier this month, before the start of the T20 World Cup, McCullum praised the way Harry Brook has dealt with controversies but admitted his white-ball captain is a “work in progress” away from the cricket field.“He’s had a hard time of late off the field, but he’s a tough lad to be able to put that aside and still lead these boys in the manner that he did, and show the tactical nous that he has as a cricketer was outstanding,” McCullum had said after Harry Brook-led England’s 2-1 ODI series victory and a 3-0 clean sweep in T20s against Sri Lanka.“I do sometimes think that people think that Brooky’s not that clever. I couldn’t disagree with that more. He wears his intelligence lightly. He’s got a very good tactical cricket brain.“He’s a work in progress off the field. He’s not alone with that, and that’s our job to help shepherd him through. But on the field, he’s certainly excelling at the moment.”Growing in stature

Harry Brook is first captain to smash century in T20 World Cup; joins Buttler, Malan in elite list of English batters

Harry Brook hit ten fours and four sixes during his sublime knock against Pakistan, and the batter also ran twos nine times, which is something that has never been seen in Brook’s batsmanship.In the last ball of the powerplay, Mohammad Nawaz fired it flat on the stumps. Brook used the depth of the crease to step back and launched the heave straight back over the bowler’s head. There was an oomph about that shot. He did go on to hit three more, but that flat-batted shot sent the signal to the Pakistan camp that, despite them being ahead in the game courtesy of Shaheen Shah Afridi’s three-wicket burst in the powerplay, England were still in the match because their captain was not giving up easily.He did agree that after he got out to Shaheen Shah Afridi and when Nawaz bagged two quick wickets in the 19th over, he started to have a flashback of the Oval Test, where Mohammed Siraj had turned the match around for India.“I thought it was going to be another Oval against India. Thankfully we managed to get over the line and Jof hit that boundary at the end. But yeah, it did get a little bit nervy there and like I said, thankfully we got the win,” he said.

Recently, former England captain Michael Vaughan had slammed Brook for not stepping up in the big match. He did answer Vaughan’s criticism with his knock and then said, “I wasn’t even on my radar to be honest. I just go out there and try and win games of cricket for England and whichever team I’m playing for. Thankfully I’ve managed to do that tonight and we’ve got the main aim which was to get through to the semis.”Brook has also grown as a captain in the dressing room and has earned the respect of the senior pros.After the win against Sri Lanka, left-arm spinner Liam Dawson was all praise for the way the young captain operated the spinners. “I think the way Brookie captained today was phenomenal, how he used us all differently,” Dawson, who picked up three wickets against Pakistan, had said on Sunday.After the win over Pakistan, it was the turn of bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton to heap praise on the ‘skip. “It’s probably one of the best knocks I’ve seen. Full credit to Brookie. He put his hand up today to bat at three and he led from the front today. Hopefully, he can keep going for us into the next few games,” Overton told reporters in the mixed zone.“The way he approaches cricket, it’s a great feeling to be able to be a part of that side. He wants us to go out there and play with a smile on our face and enjoy cricket. That’s when we grew up playing. We wanted to go out and have fun. It feels like we’re having fun out there at the moment. He’s sort of setting the standards of what we want to do, and if he keeps playing like that, we’ll go a long way in this competition,” Overton added.

Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi shakes hands with England’s captain Harry Brook after bowling the latter out during the T20 World Cup cricket match in Pallekele, Sri Lanka. (AP)

At the post-match press conference, after a while, the question of Jos Buttler’s horrendous form took centre stage. Buttler now has 62 runs in six innings. He has not passed 40 in his last 18 international innings.“He’s a powerhouse of world cricket. He’s done it on every stage. He’s won World Cups in ODIs and T20s, and it’s just a matter of time,” Brook defended his senior pro.“I think people have got to give him a little bit of slack to be honest. He’s played over 500 T20s, he’s played 150 odd for England, and he’s still averaging 35 while striking at 145. He’s arguably our best player, and he’s just not hitting them out of the middle at the minute. But yeah, I feel like people have probably got to cut him a little bit of slack.”In the past three days, Brook has not only grown a year older but also wiser, which is indeed a great sign for England.