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Goodbye for now!
Thanks for joining our live coverage of a thrilling semifinal in this T20 World Cup.
India march on to Sunday’s final and will face New Zealand in what is sure to be an absorbing encounter.
But for now, from me Adam Hancock and my colleague Kevin Hand, it’s goodbye!
Next up for Al Jazeera Sport
We’ll bring you more live action on Friday when Celta Vigo face Real Madrid in Spanish football’s La Liga.
Then on Saturday, it is Barcelona at Athletic Bilbao.
Over to the final on Sunday
The T20 World Cup final is on the way on Sunday with New Zealand taking on reigning champions India in Ahmedabad.
We will have in-depth coverage of that game. The first ball is at 7pm local time (13:30 GMT) and we will have plenty of updates in the hours leading up to the final.
Be sure to join us for what will be a thrilling occasion.
‘I made a big mistake dropping Samson’
Some thoughts now from England captain Harry Brook:
On winning the toss and choosing to field: “We thought there might have been a bit of hold early on with the pitch being fresh. We expected more spin, but it slid on to the bat nicely, and they played extremely well.”
On dropped catches: “I will hold my hands up and say I made a big mistake dropping Samson. Catches win matches, and unfortunately, it didn’t go our way in the field tonight.”
On how the bowling attack could have done better: “It was just mis execution here and there. The Indian batters are some of the best batters in the world, and if you misexecute to them, it goes out the park.”
On Bethell’s century: “He was absolutely unbelievable. He will earn some serious money in his career, and he will have a hell of a career with England … to see him go out there in the manner that he did showing the world what he can do was great.”
‘It is a special feeling for all the boys’
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav has been giving his thoughts after his side booked their place in the final:
“It is an unbelievable feeling playing in India and leading such a wonderful side. It is a special feeling for all the boys.”
On Samson’s innings: “I think he knew what he wanted to do as soon as he went into bat … the way he batted the team required that from him … it was a special knock today.”
On if he thought 250 was enough: “I just told Harry Brook, ‘how much more do we need to score against you!’ I think they were always in the game and always in the chase. But the way Bumrah and Singh controlled the game was unbelievable.”
On Bumrah’s bowling: “You know how capable he is and what he has done over the years for India, and he did the same again today … it was a special bowling performance.”
On how nervous he was during the chase: “Very nervous, if someone would have checked my heart rate, it would easily be 160, 175 plus”
On the final: “Going for the title, there will be pressure, there will be nerves, but the boys will be excited, as well.”
Plenty still to look forward to in this World Cup
New Zealand and a certain Finn Allen await in Sunday’s final for India.
The Kiwis swept South Africa aside last night and will certainly fancy their chances of causing another upset in the final.
Off to the Big Dance in Ahmedabad. #T20WorldCup | 📸 = ICC/Getty pic.twitter.com/YDqLPtfqDS
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 4, 2026
‘It happens in every team’: McCullum on England’s discipline issues
More now from England coach Brendon McCullum on Sky Sports. He has been discussing some of the off-field controversies that have dogged England in recent months.
“It happens in every team … in the end, the guys put their hands up and know they made a shocking mistake and I thought it was dealt with and we moved on.
“As soon as the discipline is done, it is now time to find ways to support guys. Of course, it is frustrating, but every team has these issues, and some are made more public than others.
“There will always be these challenges, you have young athletes with a lot of pressure on them touring around the world.”
On whether he will carry on as coach across formats: “I love the job. It comes with challenges, of course, but that is the nature of it. I feel we have achieved some really cool things over the last few years, but there is so much more to achieve with this group across all formats.”
Read all about it: Our India-England report is live
Click here to read our full match report following India’s win.
Bethell takes England close
An innings of the highest quality from Jacob Bethell ð«¡ pic.twitter.com/QiHV4Rf4sw
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 5, 2026
Marching towards the #Final 👏
A step away from 𝙂𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙮 🏆#TeamIndia is into the #T20WorldCup finale 🥳Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/LxSBs3EDPx#MenInBlue | #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/6BBNkNw2aB
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 5, 2026
‘It was a ripping game of cricket’
England coach Brendon McCullum has been speaking to Sky Sports to give his thoughts on this thrilling semifinal.
“It was a ripping game of cricket. To be chasing in excess of 250 in a ground like this, the toughness of the lads to be able to still believe and take the game as close as they did. I am very proud of the lads.
“There is lots to be proud of, but naturally we are disappointed that now we won’t get a chance to lift the trophy.”
On what was the difference tonight: “I probably look at the two catches they took [both involving Patel]. This is not an easy ground to field at … it was the difference in the game. In the big moments with those two big players, they stood up.”
On the campaign overall: “It’s been a really good campaign; we have seen the team grow. We have been in some delicate positions throughout, and a lot of pressure throughout.”
On the next steps for this team: “It’s not a big step. This is a very good Indian side in their own conditions, and we ran them within seven chasing an unbelievably high score. For us to be able to make the next step, you need a bit of luck along the way.”
All roads lead to Ahmedabad
𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬 ⏳
India and New Zealand will chase ultimate glory in the #T20WorldCup Final 🏆 pic.twitter.com/L1iPOTLfbX
— ICC (@ICC) March 5, 2026
England go close in Mumbai
We fall short at the semi-final stage 💔
Chasing 253 we lose by just 7 runs. An incredible effort 🏏
Match Centre: https://t.co/6hbvHHX5Jf
🏴 #ENGvIND 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/qzwsga02Qi
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 5, 2026
Sanju Samson wins player of the match
His 89 from 42 balls was crucial for India’s innings as the World Cup co-hosts posted 254 for England to win.
After being dropped early on by Brook, Samson went on to make England pay.
Here is what he had to say as he picked up his award.
“It feels really great. To be honest, I kind of knew that I had some form, so I thought I just need to continue. It’s not easy to find form in crucial games so I knew I had to make the most of how I was batting.
“I calculated my innings nicely, and things came off nicely. Playing at Wankhede, we knew that no score is unstoppable here. Even 250 looked chaseable here tonight, England played really well.”
On the attitude in the dressing room at the interval: “We thought 250 was possible here, so we are very happy with how the team turned up here. All credit goes to Bumrah, he is a world-class bowler and a once-in-a-generation bowler. I think he should be standing here, actually [taking this award].”
𝘋𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 🤩
India are headed to Ahmedabad for the #T20WorldCup 2026 Final 👏 pic.twitter.com/C1sAey3kOM
— ICC (@ICC) March 5, 2026
India to face New Zealand in Sunday’s final
Ahmedabad awaits for India as they look to defend their T20 World Cup title.
It looked a done deal once they posted 254 to win. But England made them sweat, with Bethell’s magnificent 105 keeping the chase alive.
Pandya took two wickets for 38 runs, while Bumrah was best of the rest with figures of 1-33.
India win by seven runs!
Archer hits the final ball for six to close the gap.
The Wankhede Stadium erupts as India celebrate reaching Sunday’s final.
England made a real chase of it and contributed to a thrilling semifinal in Mumbai.
Archer hits out
Dube sends down a wide, but it doesn’t matter.
Archer smacks the next ball down the ground for six more. England need 16 runs and just one ball remaining.
Six for Archer!
It’s too late for England, but a lovely hit from Archer down the ground nonetheless.
Two balls left.
England need 28 off four balls
Archer can’t connect and England run a single.
The crowd know it is all but over now.
19.2 overs. England 226-7