Sanju Samson pulled off a sensational batting performance for a second successive knockout game for India as his 42-ball 89 powered India to a pulsating win over England in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday night.
Samson’s measured blitzkrieg was not without flaws, handed an early reprieve in the form of a fumbled catching opportunity for England skipper Harry Brook at mid-on off Jofra Archer’s bowling. The biggest challenge for Samson in the match was his potential meeting against his former IPL teammate, Archer, who had the wood over him with three dismissals in five innings last year. Samson, however, flipped the script dramatically with four sixes off the English quick, who had a forgettable outing, conceding 61 runs in four overs.
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An epic run-fest that totalled nearly 500 runs eventually saw India emerging victors, moving into their fourth T20 World Cup final, with a nervy seven-run win eventually settled by the sheer brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel on the field.
Here’s a look at all the records broken by Sanju Samson and India in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England
- 16* – In only four innings in this World Cup, Samson shattered India legend Rohit Sharma’s record for most sixes in a T20 World Cup edition with his 16th maximum and seventh of the night against England. Rohit had recorded 15 sixes in eight innings during the 2024 T20 World Cup.
- 89 – Samson’s 89 off 42 balls is also the joint-highest score by an Indian batter in a T20 World Cup knockout match, equalling Virat Kohli’s 89 off 47 balls against West Indies in the 2016 World Cup semi-final, also played at the Wankhede Stadium.
- 232 – In only four innings, Samson became only the fourth Indian opener to record 200-plus runs in the T20 World Cup, joining Rohit, Gautam Gambhir and KL Rahul. With 16 sixes, Samson is only second to Rohit (38) on the maximum count.
- 201.73 – Samson’s strike rate for 232 runs is only bettered by New Zealand’s Finn Allen (203.52) for 289 runs this World Cup edition.
- 73 – 73 boundaries in the match is the highest-ever in a T20 World Cup match, bettering the 61 between England and South Africa at Wankhede in 2016.
- 34 – The sixes hit by India and England are the highest-ever in a T20 World Cup match, surpassing 31 between West Indies and Zimbabwe earlier this tournament.
- 499 – The match aggregate is the second-highest ever in a men’s T20I match, only bettered by 524 runs by South Africa and West Indies in a T20I in Centurion in 2024.
