Ahead of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal against England at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Rajeev Shukla, vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has expressed strong confidence in the team’s chances of reaching the final.
Speaking on the eve of the knockout clash, Shukla said he believes India will rise to the occasion and overcome England to book a place in the summit clash.
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“I am very confident that Team India will win and enter the final,” he told reporters, reflecting the positive mood in the Indian camp following their resurgence in the Super Eight stage.
India’s road to the semifinals, however, has not been without hurdles. Their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign hit an early setback with a heavy 76-run defeat to South Africa in their opening Super Eight match, a result that left them with little room for error.
Facing a must-win encounter against West Indies, the hosts responded under pressure. West Indies posted a challenging 195/4, powered by key contributions from Roston Chase and Shai Hope, before late acceleration from Jason Holder and Rovman Powell.
India’s chase began shakily as they slipped to 41/2 in the powerplay. It was Sanju Samson who steadied the innings with a match-winning unbeaten 97. The knock not only anchored the chase but also set a new benchmark — the highest score by an Indian in a T20 World Cup run chase, surpassing Virat Kohli’s previous record.
Samson built crucial partnerships with Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube to guide India to a five-wicket win with four balls to spare, sealing their place in the semifinals.
England, meanwhile, enter the contest in formidable form, having strung together five consecutive wins across the league stage and Super Eights. Their consistency and depth make them a dangerous opponent in the high-stakes encounter.
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