India vs England – T20 World Cup semifinal: Predicted XI, time, stream

EXPLAINERIndia vs England – T20 World Cup semifinal: Predicted XI, time, streamPlaying at home, India will be favourites to enter the final but England could halt their march in Mumbai on Thursday.England's captain Harry Brook will look to lead his side into the T20 World Cup final [Rafiq Maqbool/AP]Published On 4 Mar 2026Who: India vs England What: ICC Men’s 2026 T20 World Cup semifinal Where: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India When: Thursday, March 5, 7pm (13:30 GMT) How to follow: Al Jazeera’s live coverage begins at 10:00 GMT.India and England – two teams vying to become record-breaking three-time T20 World Cup champions – will meet in the second semifinal of the tournament on Thursday.India are also out to break the voodoo of a host nation and defending champion successfully retain the title, but England will hope the pressure of playing in front of a cricket-crazy home crowd will help halt their opponent’s march at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.The venue, which hosted India’s 50-over World Cup triumph in 2011, is expected to turn into a sea of blue shirts, but Harry Brook’s team will relish the opportunity of silencing them with a win.What are India’s strengths and weaknesses?Super Samson, reliable Bumrah and the 12th manThe holders started the tournament as hot favourites, but were less than convincing in the group stage. However, they gave a better performance in the Super Eights, with victories over Zimbabwe and the West Indies.Sanju Samson has added muscle and balance to the top of the order, upsetting the opposition’s bowling rhythm by breaking up the all-left-hand combination of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan.Jasprit Bumrah has proved himself again to be one of the best pacemen, and top-ranked T20 bowler Varun Chakravarthy, who has claimed 12 victims, leads the spin attack.Home support in a 35,000-strong Wankhede Stadium could be like having a 12th man on the field.Shaky battingAbhishek came into the tournament as the world’s number one T20 batsman, but then had three consecutive ducks.A fifty against Zimbabwe showed glimpses of his talent, but he fell for 10 against the West Indies, and England will be targeting him for an early wicket.Varun Chakravarthy is the top-ranked T20 bowler in the world [Rafiq Maqbool/AP]What are England’s strengths and weaknesses?England had some scratchy group stage wins, including edging a last-ball thriller against Nepal, but found form to power through the Super Eights with wins over co-hosts Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand.Brook’s leadership, Jacks’s all-round showBrook showed his leadership by moving up to number three against Pakistan and scoring a match-winning century. He is becoming an astute tactician in his first World Cup as captain.All-rounder Will Jacks has already won four player of the match awards in seven outings and can be destructive with the bat. Jofra Archer, expensive in the first two games, is back to his searing best.Out-of-form ButtlerOpener Jos Buttler is in a form slump with 62 runs in seven matches. He has not made a T20 fifty since September last year and looks devoid of confidence, but England are unlikely to ditch their former captain.What’s India’s best result at the T20 World Cup?Winners: 2007, 2024What’s England’s best result at the T20 World Cup?Winners: 2010, 2022What happened the last time India and England played a T20 international?The sides battled it out in a five-match T20 series in India in early 2025, with the hosts claiming a 4-1 win.The last match saw India post a staggering 247-9 by India at Wankhede Stadium.[Al Jazeera]Form guide: IndiaIndia were the favourites for the title, but have not had the smoothest ride. The defeat by South Africa in the Super Eights was far from a shock, while their 100 percent record in the group stage wasn’t the stroll in the park that it may seem. Nonetheless, the win against West Indies – to secure their semifinal spot – will fill the team and their fans with confidence that their form is peaking at the right time.Last five games (most recent result first): W W L W WForm guide: EnglandEngland’s road to the semifinal has similarly been a bumpy one, and their start to the tournament, a narrow win against Nepal, nearly produced one of the greatest shocks in the sport’s history.The defeat by West Indies that followed in the next fixture dampened expectations further, but Brook’s side appear to have found their groove ever since.Last five games (most recent result first): W W W W WIndia vs England: Head-to-headThis will be the 30th meeting between the sides in T20 internationals, with India winning 17 of the games and England emerging victorious from 12 of the encounters.Team news: IndiaIndia are likely to stick with the same XI that sent them through to the semifinals.Predicted India XIAbhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun ChakaravarthyTeam news: EnglandEngland could bring back Jamie Overton for Rehan Ahmed, despite the spinner’s match-winning bowling and batting figures against New Zealand.Predicted England XIPhil Salt, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Harry Brooks (captain), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton/Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Jofra ArcherHow can I follow and stream the India vs England semifinal?Al Jazeera Sport will provide comprehensive live coverage for the knockout match. Our build-up will begin at 10:00 GMT, followed by photo coverage and a text commentary stream.[Al Jazeera]