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.

Team India (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

TimesofIndia.com in Mumbai: 40 overs, 499 runs, 34 sixes, a last-over finish and the entire Wankhede Stadium on its feet singing “Maa Tujhe Salaam” in unison. One could not have asked for a more entertaining game of T20 cricket as India held their nerves to beat England by just seven runs and set a date with New Zealand in the summit clash of the 2026 T20 World Cup.The hosts had long yearned for a perfect game in the tournament. While this win too was far from it, it was enough for India to reach their fourth straight white-ball final. The bowlers had the cushion of runs and even when they leaked plenty, their early intent to look for wickets, something they could not do against the West Indies in Kolkata, was evident.Varun Chakravarthy was creamed for three sixes by Jacob Bethell but he responded by taking Jos Buttler’s wicket. Axar Patel was dispatched for back-to-back sixes by Tom Banton but the wily customer had the last laugh, taking the right-hander’s wicket off the third delivery. Before the emphatic response by the two spinners, India broke England’s back during the powerplay of the huge chase by picking three wickets: Phil Salt, Harry Brook and Jos Buttler.

Hardik Pandya struck off the first delivery of his spell and Jasprit Bumrah did the same. The two demonstrated their experience. The former achieved good movement in his first over while Bumrah stunned Brook with a slower ball, and then Axar took a blinder to dismiss the England skipper. When it looked like India were firmly in command, Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks, England’s best cricketer in this tournament, combined to put India under pressure. But even as England got close, it was wickets that kept India in control. Another one came just when they badly needed it and it again took a spectacular effort from Axar and Shivam Dube.Arshdeep was reintroduced to break the momentum after the spinners lacked control and the left-armer bowled three wides on the trot. His last legal delivery was set to go for at least a boundary before Axar pulled off another stunning effort, with Shivam Dube completing the relay catch to get the Wankhede roaring again.

Bethell special

The pitch was a paradise for batting and while every bowler struggled to contain the batters, Varun’s meek surrender raised significant concerns. Throughout his four-over spell, the mystery spinner lacked control and penetration, consistently erring with shorter lengths. The true bounce allowed batters to comfortably sit back on the back foot and muscle deliveries into the stands without course correction. He leaked 64 runs from four overs, his most expensive outing in the format and the second most expensive in the tournament’s history.

Jacob Bethell of England celebrates reaching his century during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Semi-Final match between India and England at Wankhede Stadium on March 05, 2026 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Prakash Singh/Getty Images)

With Bethell keeping England hanging by a thread, the required run rate boiled down to 61 from the last four overs. With two southpaws in the middle, India made the bold call to bowl Arshdeep early. While he kept things quiet initially, he conceded a six and a boundary off the last two deliveries, resulting in 45 runs needed from the last three overs.Arshdeep was reintroduced to break some momentum after spinners lacked control and after the left-armer bowled three wides on the trot, his last legal delivery was set to go for at least a boundary before Axar pulled off another stunning catch, with a neat assist from Shivam Dube, to get the Wankhede roaring again. The pitch was a dream to bat on and while every bowler struggled to contain the batters, Varun’s meek surrender raises significant concerns.Throughout his four-over spell, the mystery spinner lacked control and penetration, consistently erring with shorter lengths. The true bounce allowed batters to comfortably sit back on the back-foot and muscle deliveries into the stands, without course correction. He leaked 64 runs from four overs – his most expensive outing in the format and the second most in the tournament’s history. With Bethell keeping England hanging by a thread, the required run rate boiled down to 61 from last four overs. With two left-handers in the middle, India made the bold call to bowl Arshdeep early. While he kept things quiet initially, he conceded a six and a boundary off the last two deliveries, resulting in 45 runs from the last three overs.

Magical Bumrah

Then came the over that could well have decided which way the match was headed as Surya threw his last roll of the dice and handed Bumrah the ball to bowl the 18th over. And he delivered.

Jasprit Bumrah of India celebrates the run out of Jacob Bethell of England during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Semi-Final match between India and England at Wankhede Stadium on March 05, 2026 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Prakash Singh/Getty Images)

Six deliveries around the toes resulted in only six runs, making the equation 39 off the last two overs. Hardik was on top of his mark to bowl the crucial over. Even after conceding a six off the first ball, he took the wicket of Sam Curran and ended the over with a dot, leaving Shivam Dube 30 runs to defend off the last six balls.Wankhede was on its feet. A mini conference was underway between Dube, Hardik and Surya and the tension was palpable. Centurion Bethell was on strike and his first hit went straight to Pandya, patrolling the long-off. England needed Bethell at the strike and the youngster tried to steal a second but Pandya’s rocket arm caught the 22-year-old short, ending England’s hope. Archer kept the scoreboard interesting with three sixes but it was too late as England fell short by seven runs.

Another Samson masterclass

The 14th over of the Indian innings was the only one in which England did not concede a boundary. On an evening when many boundaries and sixes were hit, Will Jacks’ third over was an anomaly. Boundaries and sixes flew thick and fast in the overs bowled around the off-spinner as India, riding on another Sanju Samson masterclass, demolished England by posting a mammoth total, batting them out of the game before they even came out to bat.

Sanju Samson of India bats watched by England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Semi-Final match between India and England at Wankhede Stadium on March 05, 2026 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Prakash Singh/Getty Images)

The bounce was true and with nothing happening off the surface or in the air, India feasted with a clinical batting display. It was Samson again who put on a real show of attractive strokeplay to score back-to-back half-centuries. If the unbeaten 97 in the stiff chase against West Indies at the Eden Gardens was a picture of calm, the 89 at Wankhede had domination written all over it. He never looked to slow down, even when Abhishek Sharma threw his wicket away to Jacks’ off-spin, and the manner in which he took down the predictable Jofra Archer was pure class.Samson did get a reprieve on 15 when Harry Brook dropped a dolly at mid-on off Jofra Archer’s bowling, but he made the most of it and from there onwards played a chanceless knock.England played the matchups card well but the bowlers’ execution was far from satisfactory. All of them had an economy rate in double digits, with Archer leaking 61 runs in his four overs.The 30-year-old kept digging in short to Samson, who came well prepared and stood deep in his crease to counter the extra bounce. The only occasion when the right-armer went a bit full brought an opportunity, but Harry Brook missed the sitter, handing the in-form Samson an early life. Samson then added 74 runs from the next 35 deliveries he faced.India were cruising and Wankhede was roaring. The chants of “Sanju Samson” grew louder with every big hit and Ishan Kishan ensured the momentum did not dip from the other end as he smashed an 18-ball 39. When the dangerous southpaw was dismissed in the tenth over, India controlled the situation at 117/2. Since spin was expected to play a part, they demoted Surya and sent Shivam Dube to pile on more misery on the opposition.

Dube did not disappoint. Even after Samson was dismissed 11 short of a well-deserved hundred, he aced his role to perfection by using his long levers to full effect and kept 250 within reach. For Surya, it was another ordinary outing in a knockout or must-win fixture of a multilateral tournament but Hardik Pandya covered up for the Indian skipper’s early departure as both he, and, later, Tilak Varma played strong cameos to push the side over the 250-run mark.India’s innings mirrored their training session two days before the match as the batters operated with significant intent. The Men in Blue hit 19 sixes and the sixathon made them the only side in men’s T20 history to have six totals in excess of 250 in the format. India have already hit 88 sixes in the tournament, the most in a single edition, and they are set to flirt with the century mark when they take the field in the title clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.Brief score:India: 253 for seven in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 89, Shivam Dube 43, Ishan Kishan 39; Will Jacks 2/40, Adil Rashid 2/41).England: 246 for 7 in 20 overs (Jacob Bethell 105; Jasprit Bumrah 1/33, Hardik Pandya 2/38).

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

Sanju Samson (Pic credit: BCCI)

NEW DELHI: Speculation surfaced on social media after India’s win over West Indies that Sanju Samson could face disciplinary action — or even a ban — for his emotional on-field celebration in Kolkata. The rumours claimed that the Indian batter might miss the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against England on Thursday because he dropped his helmet to the ground after hitting the match-winning boundary.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The moment came at the end of a tense chase when Samson sealed India’s victory with a boundary. As the ball raced away, the right-handed batter removed his helmet and dropped it onto the ground before falling to his knees and offering a prayer. The emotional celebration quickly went viral, with some observers suggesting the act might fall under the International Cricket Council’s Code of Conduct related to equipment abuse.

A closer look at the rules suggests that the fears of a suspension are largely misplaced. Under Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, players can be penalised for “abuse of cricket equipment,” which includes actions such as throwing or striking items like helmets, bats, or stumps in frustration. The rule also covers deliberate damage to advertising boards, boundary fences, or dressing room fixtures.Even if Samson’s act were to be reviewed under this provision, it would most likely fall under a Level 1 offence — the lowest category of disciplinary breaches. Level 1 incidents typically attract fines or demerit points rather than suspensions.Former international umpire Anil Chaudhary also dismissed the speculation, explaining that Samson’s gesture appeared to be an emotional celebration rather than an act of anger or protest. According to him, such moments are common in high-pressure matches and are rarely treated as serious offences.Recent examples support this interpretation. Scotland’s George Munsey received only one demerit point earlier in the tournament after throwing his helmet in frustration following his dismissal.As things stand, there has been no official charge or complaint against Samson from match officials. India are scheduled to face England in the semi-final at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 5, and the wicketkeeper-batter remains fully eligible to play.

Sanju Samson of India (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

India opener Sanju Samson has thrust himself into the centre of attention after a match-winning, unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in a virtual knockout clash. The calmness he exhibited in a tense chase turned the game on its head and handed India crucial momentum ahead of the semifinal against England.The innings also represents a dramatic turnaround in Samson’s tournament. Having started on the bench after losing his spot in the playing XI, he made full use of the opportunity when recalled for the Windies encounter. Under immense pressure in a chase exceeding 190, the right-hander silenced detractors with a composed and authoritative display that could prove pivotal to India’s campaign.Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis offered a detailed tactical view of Samson’s game, identifying a potential chink in his armour. While acknowledging Samson’s strength through the mid-wicket region, Du Plessis suggested that high pace, particularly well-directed short balls above 140 kmph, can trouble him.“That’s always been the one area where you feel, with Sanju, you can attack him (with short ball), and it’s with high pace. He’s very strong in the tummy area, where that backswing is just beautiful. But 140-plus, if you get it nice and high, you feel like there’s a little window where you can attack him. It’s a weakness. So there’s the evidence in England, so they’ll have the blueprint,” Du Plessis said on ESPNCricinfo.Recent matches have followed a similar script for Samson, with quality short-pitched bowling testing him. The trend resurfaced in the Super 8 fixture against Zimbabwe, where Blessing Muzarabani removed him early by exploiting that very vulnerability.Expanding on his analysis, Du Plessis emphasised that Samson must now prepare for a barrage of short deliveries, especially against express quicks like Jofra Archer.“Sanju will know what’s coming, so for him now it’s – how do I counter it? What am I going to do when Archer comes short at me? Am I attacking it or are there other bowlers, where I can just play them a little bit better?” the former Proteas skipper added.

India’s Abhishek Sharma drops the catch of West Indies’ Roston Chase (ANI Photo)

Former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel has flagged India’s slipping standards in the field as a major worry ahead of their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal against England at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.Despite an impressive run to the last four, India’s catching has been far from convincing. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, the side has shelled 13 catches in the tournament so far, with their catching efficiency dipping to a competition-low 72.7 per cent. In contrast, Pakistan, long criticised for their work in the field, have managed a significantly better success rate of 83.3 per cent.“One concern I feel is the fielding and not just the way India fielded in the game at Eden Gardens. It has been happening for almost a year and a half. We are dropping quite a few catches. That is something India would definitely like to work on,” Patel told Jio Hotstar.India sealed their semifinal place with a gritty victory over the West Indies at the Eden Gardens, successfully overhauling a target above 190. Patel termed the result a huge boost for the side.“It was an outstanding win. It will be a great confidence booster for India going forward. India won the toss and decided to bowl first, thinking there would be a lot of dew. When the game finished, there was no dew at all, but the conditions did get slightly better. In a knockout game, chasing in excess of 190, someone needed to play an outstanding knock, and Sanju Samson did that,” Parthiv said.“The Captain took his hat off. He has scored a lot of hundreds in international cricket, but to me, this innings was right up there. Skill-wise, we all know that Sanju Samson is a very talented batter, but fighting those mental battles is very difficult. I thought Sanju Samson did that really well. He also spoke about how his experience came into the fold. I thought it was a very mature innings. He always looked in control. He did not try to hit the ball hard. He will remember this innings for a long time,” he added.Patel also singled out pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for special praise, highlighting his knack for breaking key partnerships.“Bumrah is not a banker. He is the bank. The way he comes out and bowls, when you want to take a wicket against an in-form Hetmyer, he comes in and takes his wicket, then gets a set Roston Chase. Obviously, India has looked up to Jasprit Bumrah most of the time, and he has never disappointed. That is what he does most often. You are playing in a format right now, in this era, where the only way you can stop a batter is by getting him out, and Jasprit Bumrah does that.”Looking ahead to the clash with England, Patel stressed the importance of early breakthroughs against a dangerous batting unit.“India obviously need to get England’s dangerous batters out as quickly as possible. You have Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, who is due for runs and likes the Wankhede Stadium. Then you have Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook. So, they have a good, solid line-up. It is a good all-round team. Obviously, against England, India will have to be at the top of their game,” he concluded.

Abhishek Sharma (Pic credit: BCCI)

Back at the Wankhede, Team India opener will hope to rediscover fearless touch at the venue where he smashed 135 vs England last yearMUMBAI: Given the way Abhishek Sharma punished everything bowled at him in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, he was tipped to light up the tournament. It also meant opposition teams went the extra mile to probe for chinks in his armour.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Barring the Zimbabwe game — where the left-hander struck a half-century — rivals have largely succeeded in keeping him quiet. His scores read 0, 0, 0, 15, 55 and 10. Yet the team management have shown faith in the 25-year-old, backing him despite his visible dip in confidence. With the semifinal against England on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium, changes in the starting XI look unlikely.

India trained in full strength on Tuesday, with players spending considerable time across the four nets at the venue. Abhishek was the last among the playing XI batters to pad up, facing mostly net bowlers, with Arshdeep Singh and Tilak Varma the only regulars to bowl at him. He faced a leg-spinner, two off-spinners — operating from both sides of the crease and bowling back of a length — and a couple of right-arm pacers.The Sunrisers Hyderabad opener focused on playing as straight as possible, a routine he has adopted after his early struggles in the tournament. His six dismissals so far show a clear pattern. Teams have tried to block his scoring zones, cramp him for room and take pace off the ball.Against Pakistan, Netherlands and West Indies, he fell to spinners firing in back-of-a-length darts into middle and leg, keeping the ball out of his arc as he attempted to pull or hoick towards the leg side. Against South Africa and Zimbabwe, slower deliveries from pacers deceived him, resulting in miscued shots.A high-risk approach carries its own perils and altering it overnight is never easy. However, there were signs of adjustment during his 30-ball 55 against Zimbabwe — the second slowest fifty of his T20I career — where he showed greater intent to play with a straight bat.Off-spinners Salman Agha and Aryan Dutt have troubled him, so it will be interesting to see if England use Will Jacks early, even though India have tried to balance their left-heavy top order with the inclusion of Sanju Samson.For Abhishek, the immediate challenge will be to shelve the pull shot against spinners in the early stages and devise a plan for back-of-length deliveries. He could, for instance, take a leaf out of Samson’s playbook against West Indies — creating room to cut square of the wicket or stepping inside the line to access the leg side. Experts believe he should trust his natural instincts but give himself time at the crease before shifting gears.Just over a year ago, Abhishek hammered a 54-ball 135 — his highest T20I score and second century — against England at the Wankhede, facing an attack that included Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton and Adil Rashid. The Indian think tank will hope he can draw inspiration from that innings and rediscover the fearless strokeplay that once made him the toast of Indian cricket.

NEW DELHI: When Sanju Samson stood tall after his match-winning 97 against the West Indies, it was more than just a comeback knock — it was the fulfilment of a promise made at the very start of the T20 World Cup.Despite being India’s first-choice T20I opener for over a year, Samson found himself out of the playing XI for the tournament opener against the United States of America (USA) at the Wankhede Stadium. Ishan Kishan’s strong form meant Samson had to wait.

What followed is now going viral.Ahead of that opening game, Rohit Sharma walked up to Samson, put an arm around him, and offered words that would define the rest of his tournament.“Kaisa hai? Dukhi mat ho bhai. It is a long tournament, kabhi bhi mauka aa sakta hai (“How are you? Don’t be disheartened. It is a long tournament. The opportunity can come at any moment),” Rohit had said to Samson, as revealed in a video posted by the official Instagram account of the International Cricket Council (ICC).At that moment, Samson was on the sidelines. But Rohit’s reassurance proved prophetic.After India’s defeat to South Africa opened the door for changes, Samson returned. He first made an impact with a fiery cameo against Zimbabwe before scripting something far bigger — an unbeaten 97 under pressure to anchor a daunting 196-run chase against the West Indies, sealing India’s highest-successful run chase in T20 World Cup history.His journey to that moment had been anything but smooth.Earlier in the season, being pushed down the order during the Asia Cup disrupted his rhythm. Then came a difficult New Zealand series where scores of 10, 6, 0, 24 and 6 led to criticism and doubts.But Samson never stopped observing, learning and believing.After his masterclass against the West Indies, he acknowledged the influence of Rohit and Virat Kohli.“Playing IPL for around 10 to 12 years and being with the Indian team for the last 10 years… I have not always been playing, but I was looking from the dugout, learning from greats like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. It was very important to observe, learn, and see what they were doing,” Samson said.From being dropped to delivering one of the most memorable knocks in India’s T20 World Cup campaign, Samson’s resurgence now carries the imprint of Rohit’s hug and those four simple words — “Dukhi mat ho bhai.”With a five-wicket win over the West Indies, India marched into the semifinals and will now face England at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday — the same ground where Samson had once watched from the sidelines, waiting for his moment.

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma run between the wickets during an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and Zimbabwe, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai. (PTI Photo)

Sanju Samson dropped to his knees and looked up at the sky in gratitude and relief, perhaps thanking the cricketing gods at the ‘Garden of Eden’ in Kolkata, after steering India to the T20 World Cup semifinals with a five-wicket win over West Indies in what was a virtual quarter-final for both teams.India captain Suryakumar Yadav doffed his cap in honour of Sanju, after the right-handed batter played a career-defining unbeaten 97 off 50 balls on Sunday.While Sanju’s 97 in Kolkata will be remembered, his short-lived but significant innings against Zimbabwe three days prior had brought momentum to India’s T20 World Cup campaign.In the five matches before Sanju returned to the playing XI against Zimbabwe, India won four but there were clear concerns in the batting, and everyone could see it.

Trouble in top-order

India played without Samson in four out of those five matches, and their highest opening partnership in those games was 8 runs. In the only match that Sanju played, against Namibia (when Abhishek was out due to illness), Samson and Ishan Kishan had an opening stand of 25 runs in 12 balls.Apart from Ishan’s knocks against Pakistan (77 off 40) and Namibia (61 off 24), India’s top four, including Surya and Tilak Varma, were also facing a strike-rate problem in those matches, as the table below shows.

Indian top-order batters’ strike-rate in the first 5 matches of T20 World Cup

Openers not providing a good start, and the middle order struggling to score runs quickly, was a double trouble for defending champions India. This was largely due to India’s batters struggling against off-spin in the tournament.With six left-handers in the top eight, India essentially invited themself to be attacked by off-spinners. And oppositions’ Erasmus, Aghas, Ayubs, and Dutts obliged.During the group stage, India faced more off-spin than any other team — 102 deliveries. Among the 13 teams that faced at least six overs of off-spin, only Nepal (5.25) and Oman (5.42) scored at a slower rate than India’s 6.23 runs per over.India’s trouble against off-spin bowling was first exposed by Gerhard Erasmus, when the Namibian skipper took four wickets, three of them left-handers, in the group-stage match. Pakistan took the cue, and their captain, Salman Ali Agha, a part-time off-spinner, took the new ball and dismissed India’s opener Abhishek Sharma caught on duck at mid-on. The trend continued in India’s last group-stage match against the Netherlands as off-spinner Aryan Dutt came to bowl the first over. He first bowled Abhishek Sharma for another duck, his third in as many matches in the tournament by then, and then sent his partner Ishan Kishan back to the dugout in the fifth over.

It is worth noting that Abhishek had not previously shown vulnerability against off-spin; in fact, he has a career strike rate of 171.1 against off-spinners in powerplay in T20Is. However, given the slow nature of the pitches in the tournament, as compared to the IPL and T20 bilaterals India played at home in the last two years, he seemed to be out of his comfort zone against them and fell to off-spin twice in the three group-stage matches.Meanwhile, Abhishek’s opening partner Ishan Kishan, does face trouble against the off-spinners. In all T20Is, Kishan has scored against off-spinners at a mere 76.9 strike rate in the first six overs. That hasn’t changed in the T20 World Cup, despite him being in the form of his life; the southpaw has scored at just 115.8 strike rate against off-spin in the powerplay, his lowest against all kinds of bowling.In comparison, Sanju Samson has a strike-rate of 188.2 against off-spinners in the powerplay in T20Is.

‘Matlab Abhishek ki jagah khilau?’

By the end of the group stage, it was clear that India’s two left-handed openers had a difficult match-up against off-spin.It was evident that South Africa will use their off-spin options if Ishan and Abhishek open the innings for India in their first Super 8 clash. India captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked in the pre-match press conference whether India would look to bring back right-handed Sanju Samson vs South Africa in the top order to counter the off-spin threat? To which he replied, “Matlab Abhishek ki jagah khilau? (Should I play him instead of Abhishek?)”, “matlab Tilak ki jagah khilau? (You mean in place of Tilak?).“Suryakumar Yadav was seen smiling sarcastically while replying to the journalist as if the suggestion was out of context.But the story repeated, as predicted, and South Africa captain Aiden Markram himself came to bowl with the new ball and dismissed opener Ishan Kishan for a duck. India lost the match by 76 runs, which left them in a do-or-die situation.

How fortunes changed for India?

India’s next Super 8 match was against Zimbabwe in Chennai, and in came Sanju Samson back in the playing XI. He opened the innings with Abhishek and provided India a brisk opening stand of 48 runs. More importantly, with Sanju as an opener, India succeeded in keeping the off-spinner away from the new ball. By the time Sanju was dismissed in the fourth over, India were 48, and Abhishek Sharma was set at the crease. Sanju scored 24 off 15 balls and fulfilled the task brilliantly that he was entrusted with, and was lauded by head coach Gautam Gambhir and support staff after his dismissal. Sanju’s presence did wonders for India in the match. Opener Abhishek Sharma, who had scored just 15 runs before that in the tournament, including three ducks, came back to form and scored a half-century. India scored 256 in the first innings and crushed Zimbabwe by 72 runs. India finally had a convincing win in the tournament, and a campaign that once seemed on the verge of derailment found its momentum. Sanju Samson had turned it around through his 15-ball 24-run knock.Against West Indies on Sunday, India chased down their highest-ever target (196) in Men’s T20 World Cup history, bettering their previous record of 173 against South Africa in 2014.Sanju Samson’s 97 in the chase was the second-highest score for India at the men’s T20 World Cup, behind only Suresh Raina’s 101 against South Africa in 2010. It was the highest for India in a chase at the T20 World Cup, bettering Virat Kohli’s 82 not out against Australia in 2016 and Pakistan in 2022.India captain Suryakumar Yadav, who just a few days ago questioned “kiski jagah khilau?”, bowed down to Samson in appreciation.The 97 in Kolkata will be remembered. It secured the semifinal spot and will sit high among India’s best T20 World Cup knocks. But it was Samson’s 15-ball 24 against Zimbabwe in Chennai that brought India’s T20 World Cup campaign to life, and they are now looking like the formidable side that they are, going into the semi-final.