In a highly anticipated rematch of the 2022 semi-final, a red-hot Team India will face England in the second semi-final of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup at Guyana on Thursday.
The last encounter between these two powerhouses in a Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final took place just 19 months ago in Adelaide, where an extraordinary opening stand by Jos Buttler and Alex Hales led England to a 10-wicket victory. This defeat prompted India to overhaul their T20 strategy, shifting from established superstars to fresh, aggressive talent.
This time, India enters the match with a bolstered batting line-up featuring experienced campaigners like skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They also have more aggressive middle-over options and a varied bowling attack. However, defeating the defending champions won’t be easy, especially with skipper Jos Buttler and his new opening partner Phil Salt in exceptional form.
According to the ICC, England is just two games away from making history as the first men’s team to retain a T20 World Cup title. On the other hand, India is chasing their first T20 World Cup win since the tournament’s inception in 2007 and their first World Cup triumph in any format since the 2011 50-over World Cup. India’s last ICC trophy was the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.
The Guyana National Stadium, a 20,000-seater venue near Georgetown and the Demerara River, will host its sixth and final match of the tournament. In the previous five matches during the first-round stage, spinners have been particularly effective, although the pitch has also offered some assistance to pacers. The highest score recorded here was Afghanistan’s 183/5 against Uganda.
India has been dominant throughout the tournament, with their only dropped points coming from a rain-soaked abandoned match against Canada in Florida. They secured their semi-final spot with impressive wins over Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Australia, finishing as Group One winners in the Super Eight.
England’s journey to the semi-finals has been more arduous. After a rained-off match against Scotland and an initial loss to Australia, they needed significant victories and some help from other teams to progress. They managed to qualify ahead of Scotland on net run rate, thanks in part to Australia. A narrow seven-run loss to South Africa left England in a precarious position, but a decisive win over the USA ensured their place in the semi-finals. A victory by South Africa over the West Indies then cemented England’s semi-final berth.
India has maintained a settled side throughout their Super Eight campaign, only adding Kuldeep Yadav in place of Mohammed Siraj. They are likely to stick with this balanced team, which includes six frontline bowlers: three pacers and three spinners. However, Yuzvendra Chahal might be considered for an additional spinning threat on the expected Guyana surface.
England, meanwhile, shifted from their initial batting-heavy line-up to include four frontline pacers, with Sam Curran and Chris Jordan at seven and eight, and Mark Wood missing out. They might consider bringing back Will Jacks as a part-time spin option or debuting Tom Hartley, but with spin-bowling all-rounders Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone in the top six, they may stick with their current formula.
Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
England: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.
