T20 World Cup: Injury-hit England lock horns against favourite New Zealand in first semifinal
England topped Group 1 while New Zealand finished second in Group 2. Both teams have won 4 of their 5 matches to enter the semi-finals. England defeated Australia, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh but lost to South Africa.
Hit by injuries, Eoin Morgan’s England will lock horns against New Zealand in the first semifinal of the ongoing T20 World Cup on Wednesday, two years after their dramatic clash in the 50-over World Cup final in Lords.
The two teams have shared a fierce rivalry in the last few years, especially in the ICC tournaments. Both sides are familiar with each other’s whereabouts as the teams had highlighted the final of the 2019 World Cup, in which the home team edged the Kiwis on a superior boundary count after the Super Over failed to determine a winner.
England topped Group 1 while New Zealand finished second in Group 2. Both teams have won 4 of their 5 matches to enter the semi-finals. England defeated Australia, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh but lost to South Africa.
England has reached the final four of the T20 World Cup without star performers Stokes and Jofra Archer.
New Zealand lost to Pakistan but won their matches against India, Afghanistan, Scotland and Namibia. However, it is a known fact that New Zealand has been very positive on the field since Kane Williamson has taken over captaincy.
England has lost opening batsman Jason Roy after he collapsed with a calf injury in the last match of Group 2 that England lost to South Africa. Later, he ruled out of the tournament and replaced by opener James Vince.
While pacer Tymal Mills has also been ruled from the England team. England’s aggressive brand of cricket got them past West Indies, Bangladesh, Australia and Sri Lanka with clinical ease to finish as group leaders ahead of the Aussies.
In the last 5 games between England and New Zealand, England have won 3 games.
England Predicted XI: Jos Buttler (wk), Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Eoin Morgan (c), Sam Billings/James Vince, Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid
New Zealand Predicted XI: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway (wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult
India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the men’s cricket final at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday to retain the gold medal.
India posted 211 for six after being sent in to bat, before restricting Pakistan to 192 for six in their 20 overs. The victory gave India their second successive Asian Games gold medal in men’s cricket.
India post 211 in final
India’s batting was led by Abhishek Sharma, who scored 61 off 28 balls, while Tilak Varma contributed 51 off 22 balls.
The two batters provided the momentum as India reached 211 for six from their 20 overs.
India captain Shreyas Iyer had won the toss and elected to bat first in the final.
Pakistan fall 19 runs short
Pakistan’s chase was anchored by Hasan Nawaz, who made 96 from 51 balls. Saim Ayub added 29 from 22 balls, but Pakistan finished on 192 for six after 20 overs.
India’s Axar Patel and Washington Sundar each took two wickets as Pakistan fell short of the target.
The result secured the gold medal for India, while Pakistan finished with silver. Sri Lanka won the bronze medal after defeating Bangladesh in the bronze-medal match.
India retain Asian Games cricket title
The victory marked India’s second consecutive men’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games. India had also won the men’s cricket gold at the Hangzhou edition.
India’s victory over Pakistan also completed a gold-medal double for the country in cricket at the 2026 Asian Games, after the women’s team won the women’s cricket final earlier in the competition.
Jasprit Bumrah added another milestone to his international career on Thursday after taking the field for India against Sri Lanka in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket semifinal in Japan.
Bumrah’s appearance at Nishin made him the first Indian to play T20I cricket in 13 different countries, according to the report. He moved ahead of former India captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have each played T20Is in 12 countries.
Bumrah’s 13-country T20I record
Before playing in Japan, Bumrah had represented India in T20Is in 12 other countries — India, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the United States, West Indies and Zimbabwe.
His appearance in Japan took the tally to 13. Kohli, Rohit and Bhuvneshwar had played in all of those countries except Japan, leaving Bumrah alone at the top of the list.
Kohli and Rohit cannot add to their totals as both have retired from T20I cricket, according to the source.
Bumrah shines against Sri Lanka
Bumrah also made an immediate impact in his first T20I appearance in Japan. He claimed two wickets in his opening over against Sri Lanka and finished with figures of 2/7 in two overs.
India went on to dismiss Sri Lanka for 45 in 9.5 overs and won the semifinal by 124 runs to book a place in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket final.
The result set up an India-Pakistan gold-medal clash, scheduled for October 3.
Jasprit Bumrah has become the first Indian to play T20I cricket in 13 different countries. His appearance against Sri Lanka in Japan took him past Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have played T20Is in 12 countries each.
India produced a remarkable batting performance to defeat West Indies by eight wickets in the second ODI in Guwahati, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
West Indies posted 405 for 7 in their 50 overs after centuries from John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo. India then produced an emphatic response, reaching 406 for 2 in just 43.3 overs.
Shubman Gill led the chase with an unbeaten 223, while Rohit Sharma provided strong support with a century.
Gill’s record-breaking double century
Gill remained unbeaten on 223 from 133 balls and completed his double century in 117 deliveries.
His innings made him the first batter to score an ODI double century in 117 balls, according to the report. His unbeaten 223 was also recorded as the highest ODI score by an Indian captain and the highest score by an Indian in an ODI chase.
Gill’s innings contained a combination of boundaries and sustained attacking batting as India comfortably reached the target set by West Indies.
Rohit Sharma scores 101
Rohit Sharma also produced a century during India’s chase, scoring 101 from 75 balls.
The innings also saw Rohit reach the milestone of 12,000 ODI runs. He became the third Indian batter to reach the landmark after Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli contributed 29 runs before being dismissed during the chase.
West Indies post 405
Earlier, West Indies put up a huge total of 405 for 7 in their allotted 50 overs.
John Campbell scored 101, while Shai Hope made 104. Amir Jangoo also struck a century, scoring 114.
Despite the three centuries, West Indies could not defend the total as India’s top order produced a dominant chase.
India take 2-0 series lead
India completed the chase in 43.3 overs, finishing on 406 for 2 and securing an eight-wicket victory.
The result gives India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series, with the second match producing a record-breaking individual performance from captain Shubman Gill.
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