Two T20 World Cup semis, two different stories: How India knocked out England in 2024 and 2026

Riding on Sanju Samson’s scintillating 89 off 42 balls, India piled up a massive 253/7 in 20 overs. England mounted a strong chase and came close to pulling off what would have been a record run chase, but eventually finished at 246/7, falling short by seven runs.

The high-scoring encounter turned into one of the most entertaining semi-finals in T20 World Cup history, with both teams producing explosive batting displays and the result remaining uncertain until the final overs.

Interestingly, India had also defeated England in the semi-final of the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, the nature of the victory was completely different then.

In the 2026 semi-final, India’s batters led the charge with a mammoth total. Samson’s aggressive knock provided the platform, while the rest of the batting lineup ensured the team crossed the 250-run mark — one of the highest totals in a T20 World Cup knockout match. England’s reply was powered by Jacob Bethell’s blistering 105 off 48 balls, but the target ultimately proved just out of reach.

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In contrast, the 2024 semi-final was dominated by India’s bowlers. Batting first in that match, India posted 171/7 in 20 overs, with Rohit Sharma scoring a crucial 57. England, however, collapsed against India’s disciplined bowling attack and were bowled out for just 103 in 16.4 overs, handing India a comfortable 68-run victory.
While the two semi-finals were defined by different strengths — bowling in 2024 and batting in 2026 — one player emerged as a common factor in both victories.All-rounder Axar Patel played a key role in the 2024 semi-final and was named Player of the Match for his impactful performance with both bat and ball. Two years later, he once again proved crucial for India, delivering an important spell in the high-scoring 2026 contest and helping the team defend the huge total. He also took two outstanding catches in today’s match that later proved crucial.

With this victory, India not only avenged past heartbreaks in knockout matches against England but also underlined their ability to win big games in different ways — with the ball in 2024 and with the bat in 2026.