Wankhede Stadium witnessed history on Thursday as Team India demolished all expectations in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against England. In a batting spectacle, India racked up 253 for 7 in their 20 overs, etching their name as authors of the tournament’s highest knockout score.
This mammoth total dethroned West Indies’ 205 for 4 from the 2012 semis versus Australia, a record untouched for over a decade. Placing third in T20 WC annals and second for India, it also marked their sixth 250+ T20I innings, a unique feat.
The fireworks included 37 boundaries: 18 boundaries and 19 sixes, with the six-hitting spree setting a new tournament benchmark at 88 maximums. Only Sri Lanka’s 41 boundaries in 2007 outdo India’s boundary count.
After Abhishek Sharma’s early exit at 9, Ishan Kishan (39 off 18 balls) and Sanju Samson (89 off 42) launched a counter-attack, adding 97 in just 45 deliveries. Shivam Dube muscled 43 off 25, Tilak Varma smashed 21 off 7, and Hardik Pandya’s 27 (3×4, 2×6) sealed the deal. England’s response came via Will Jacks and Adil Rashid, each snaring two scalps.
With such a towering total, India has turned the semi-final into a cakewalk for their attack. This innings isn’t just about numbers; it’s a statement of India’s evolution into unstoppable T20 force, poised for World Cup redemption.