Watch: Axar Patel provides India early breakthrough, dismisses Tom Banton in T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final
Axar Patel gives India a perfect start by dismissing Tom Banton early in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final, putting England under immediate pressure.
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England are up against India in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 in Mumbai. Batting first, the Men in Blue scored 253 runs in the first innings, thanks to Sanju Samson’s 89-run knock. The pitch was flat, as mentioned by Ishan Kishan, so it was expected that the English batters would give a tough fight when they came to bat.
On the contrary, England lost early wickets as Phil Salt was removed by Hardik Pandya in the second over. After his dismissal, skipper Harry Brook followed him back to the pavilion. But Jos Buttler and Tom Banton continued the attack, scoring runs quite confidently. However, the Indian bowlers were terrific on the field as they continued taking wickets.
Banton was dismissed on 17 off five deliveries, hitting one boundary and two sixes. He was in incredible form but failed to convert the start he got. He scored two back-to-back sixes against Axar Patel before losing his wicket on the third ball. Banton tried to hit a slog sweep but failed to connect with the bat.
The left-handed bowler celebrated quite wildly as he was frustrated with the sixes. But it was a solid ball that dismissed the batter. Before him, Buttler was out too. The English batters looked good at one point, but went on to lose too many wickets in the middle overs.
Watch the video here:
Also See: Sanju Samson's blazing knock of 89 ends against England in T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final
India win by seven runs to march into finals
The Men in Blue played an incredible game today, scoring 253 runs in the first innings. Sanju Samson scored 89 runs, including seven boundaries and eight sixes. However, England almost went down to chase the score but lost the match by just seven runs. Jacob Bethell slammed an incredible century but since England lost early wickets, the match slipped through their hands.
Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah's clean bowling helped India march into the T20 World Cup finals. The defending champions will try to defend their title this year. They are surely the favorites since their performance has been outstanding throughout the tournament.
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