England fell seven runs short in a spirited chase of 254 in their T20 World Cup semi-final against India, with Jacob Bethell’s stunning 105 off 48 balls not quite enough to see them into Sunday’s final against New Zealand.
England conceded over 250 in a T20 international for the first time as India posted a massive 253-7 after being inserted at the toss, but Bethell’s 45-ball hundred took Harry Brook’s side to the cusp of a remarkable victory.
Bethell shared in a superb 77-run partnership with Will Jacks (35 off 20) for the fifth wicket, leaving England needing a gettable 82 off the final six overs when the latter departed.
Axar Patel, who had earlier taken a terrific, tumbling catch over his shoulder to dismiss Brook (7), also played his part in a stunning relayed effort on the boundary to do for Jacks.
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Axar Patel made two sensational catches against England in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup.
Sam Curran (18 off 14) couldn’t clear the boundary as effectively, while the returning Jasprit Bumrah (1-33) was typically miserly, ensuring England’s required rate steadily climbed – even with Bethell’s hundred heroics at one end.
Bethell went through to three figures as he hammered his seventh six, to go with eight fours, off the first ball of Hardik Pandya’s penultimate over. But just three more runs were added from the next five balls – which included Curran’s demise – to see 30 needed off the last, where Bethell was run out first ball.
The game finally beyond England, Jofra Archer struck three sixes to get them closer to the initial target, but it’s India who advance as they bid to successfully defend their title in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Sanju Samson had earlier proven the mainstay of India’s extraordinary total, as he smashed seven sixes and eight boundaries in his 89 off 42 – but he should have been dismissed for just 15.
Serving up a chipped chance to Brook at mid-on in the third over, the skipper somehow shelled the simple grab – and Samson made him and England pay.
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Harry Brook dropped at easy catch for the chance to get out Sanju Samson early in the T20 World Cup semi-final.
Abhishek Sharma (9) holed out to deep midwicket in Will Jacks’ second over, but Ishan Kishan came in and blasted 39 off 18 as part of an explosive 97-run stand with Samson for the second wicket.
The 100 came up for India in the ninth over as a 19-run Liam Dawson over was bettered by a 20-run hammering of Curran.
England, desperate for an answer, finally found one as Adil Rashid (2-41) removed Kishan, but Samson found another more than useful foil in Shivam Dube (43 off 25).
Samson would ultimately fall to Jacks (2-40) to start the 14th over, perishing unselfishly in pursuit of more boundaries as opposed to playing for a potential century.
India’s momentum was far from derailed with his departure, as Dube, Hardik Pandya (27 off 12) and Tilak Varma (21 off 7) continued to dish out the punishment to England’s attack – Archer, in particular, getting the treatment as his four overs cost 61.
Tasked with pulling off the second-highest T20I run chase of all time, there was at least a clarity afforded England’s batters in the approach required – and Bethell certainly enjoyed himself.
England were 38-2 when Brook (7) fell cheaply to start the fifth over, bringing Bethell to the crease. He swiftly struck his second ball for six, and hit three more to start Varun Chakravarthy’s next over.
Varun would bowl Buttler (25 off 17) two deliveries later but it would otherwise be a torrid night for the leg-spinner, as he conceded 64 from his four overs.
A quickfire Tom Banton (17 off 5) cameo, as well as the more telling contributions from Bethell and Jacks, helped England soar past the 100 mark off the first ball of the ninth over, Bethell bringing up a 19-ball half century in the 11th.
But the wicket of Jacks – to a fine bit of work on the boundary by Axar – ultimately proved decisive as Bethell didn’t quite have enough support at the end to see England over the line.
Watch the T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 1pm, Sunday (1.30pm first ball).
2026 Men’s T20 World Cup knockouts
All times UK and Ireland; all games live on Sky Sports
Semi-finals
Wednesday March 4
Thursday March 5
India beat England by seven runs (Mumbai)
Final
Sunday March 8
New Zealand vs India (Ahmedabad, 1.30pm)
