The T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium kicked off with a historic footnote courtesy of England’s Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid. Taking the field against India, the pair surpassed previous benchmarks by becoming the first Englishmen to play seven T20 World Cup knockout matches each – a feat that highlights their unparalleled consistency in pressure-cooker scenarios.
India’s Rohit Sharma stands alone at the top with eight such outings, but Rashid and Buttler now join an elite club that includes Sri Lankan stalwarts Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Dilshan, Malinga, and Mathews, all with seven.
Buttler, in particular, reached a personal milestone: his 43rd World Cup appearance, tying Shakib Al Hasan for second all-time. Sharma’s 47 games remain unmatched, with Warner on 41, Rashid at 38, and Mahmudullah with 37 rounding out the top five.
Toss winner Harry Brook opted to field, challenging Suryakumar Yadav’s India to set a target. Team India stuck with their winning combination: Abhishek Sharma, Samson (wk), Kishan, Varma, Pandya, Dube, Patel, Singh, Chakaravarthy, and the lethal Bumrah.
England shuffled their pack slightly, replacing Rehan Ahmed with Jamie Overton. The full XI: Brook (c), Salt, Buttler (wk), Bethell, Banton, Curran, Jacks, Overton, Dawson, Archer, Rashid.
With the crowd roaring and stakes sky-high, this semi-final promises edge-of-the-seat action. Can England’s record-breakers inspire a upset, or will India’s firepower prevail? The battle for the final berth has begun.