Sanju Samson produced a breathtaking innings to drive India to a mammoth 253 in their T20 World Cup semi-final against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on 05 March. The total was built on fearless strokeplay, relentless six-hitting and England’s inability to recover from early mistakes in the field.
India’s 253 featured 19 sixes, equalling the joint-highest number struck in a single T20 World Cup innings. Hardik Pandya added two more in the final over to cap a night of sustained power-hitting.
Samson led the charge with 89 off 42 balls, an innings defined by authority rather than caution. Dropped on 15 by Harry Brook, he made England pay heavily, smashing 74 runs off his next 35 deliveries. Even with a century within reach in a semi-final, Samson refused to slow down.
Will Jacks eventually dismissed him with a clever change of angle, inducing a toe-ended shot to deep cover. By then, the damage had been done: India were 160 for 3 in just over 13 overs.
India raced to 67 for 1 in the powerplay, with Samson dismantling Jofra Archer. Archer, who has previously enjoyed success against Samson, lost control after the dropped chance, conceding seven sixes — the joint-most by a bowler in a T20 World Cup match. He finished with figures of 4-0-60-1.
At one stage, India had already hit 74 sixes in the tournament, surpassing the previous World Cup record for most sixes by a team. The boundary flow never truly slowed, with only one over in the first 14 going without a four or six.
Ishan Kishan contributed a rapid 39 off 18 before falling to Adil Rashid, who briefly stemmed the flow with 2 for 41 in his four overs. Shivam Dube added 43 off 25 but was run out after a mix-up with Pandya.
England missed further opportunities, including a dropped catch off Pandya, and failed to contain the late surge. Tilak Varma took Archer apart in the penultimate over, and Pandya’s finishing blows ensured India crossed the 250 mark.
England had opted to bowl first after winning the toss, backing the chasing-friendly nature of the surface. However, defending totals in night knockouts has historically been rare in T20 World Cups. With 253 on the board, India have given themselves a commanding advantage and placed enormous scoreboard pressure on England.
