India secured a spot in the ICC T20 World Cup final with a dominant 69-run victory over arch-rivals England in a rain-affected semi-final on Wednesday in Providence. Despite a delayed start due to rain, England won the toss and chose to field first.
India, batting first, posted a total of 171 for 7 in their 20 overs. Despite early losses of Virat Kohli (9) and Rishabh Pant (4), the middle order stabilized the innings. Rohit Sharma top-scored with 57, while Surya Kumar Yadav added 47. Chris Jordan was the standout bowler for England, taking three wickets. Contributions from Hardik Pandya (23), Akshar Patel (10), and an unbeaten 17 from Ravindra Jadeja helped India reach a competitive total.
Read more: South Africa Makes Their First T20 World Cup Final After Beating Afghanistan By 9 Wickets
In reply, England’s batting lineup struggled, with Harry Brook top-scoring with 25, and captain Jos Buttler making 23. Jofra Archer added 21, but no other batsman reached double figures. Akshar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav were exceptional with the ball, each taking three wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah claimed two.
Akshar Patel was named Man of the Match for his stellar bowling. This victory sends India to the final against South Africa on Saturday, June 29. The semi-final faced multiple rain delays, with India set to advance based on superior performance in the tournament if the match had been washed out. This marks India’s third ICC T20 World Cup final appearance, having won in 2007 and finished as runners-up in 2014.
