MUMBAI – India’s semi-final triumph over England in T20 World Cup 2026 will be remembered for Sanju Samson’s match-winning knock, but the Rajasthan Royals captain insists Jasprit Bumrah stole the show. Player of the Match for his 89-run blitz, Samson handed the glory to the pace ace. ‘All credit to Bumrah. Such bowlers appear once every generation. His performance today was unreal, and this award belongs to him,’ he said post-match at Wankhede.
The numbers back it up. Needing 69 in 5 overs with Bethell rampant, England crumbled under Bumrah’s grip. His 16th over: 8 runs. 18th: a miserly 6. Hardik Pandya chipped in with 9 in the 19th, forcing 30 off the last—a target England couldn’t breach, scoring 22 to lose by 7 runs.
India’s 253/7 set the tone. Samson (89 off 42, 8×4, 7×6), Dube (43 off 25), Kishan (39 off 18), Pandya (27 off 12), and Varma (21 off 7) fired. Bethell’s heroic 105 (48 balls, 8×4, 7×6) dragged England to 246/7, but it wasn’t enough.
Bumrah: 4-0-33-1. Pandya: 4-0-38-2. Samson’s humility shines, but Bumrah’s death-over brilliance sealed India’s final berth, proving why he’s cricket’s ultimate game-changer.