How India Reached T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Finals - Recapping Men In Blue's Journey

Indian wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson silenced his critics by steering the Men in Blue to a historic 5-wicket victory over the West Indies in their Super 8s concluder yesterday (Mar 1) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Samson’s unbeaten 97 stood out as a knock that not only boosted his confidence but also gave some relief to the Indian team management.

This win secured India’s record-breaking 6th T20 World Cup semi-final appearance as they also buried their ghosts from 2016 when the same opponents had knocked them out of the tournament.

ICC T20 World Cup 2026: India's Path To Semi-Finals

In what was a virtual quarter-final, the West Indies power-hitters, coming from a tough loss to South Africa, posted a formidable 195/4 in the 1st innings.

India’s pursuit of 196 started precariously as the top order crumbled under pressure.

Abhishek Sharma (10), Ishan Kishan (10), and Suryakumar Yadav (18) were dismissed cheaply, managing only 38 runs between them.

However, the tide turned when Tilak Varma joined Samson at the crease, providing a vital spark with a quick-fire 27 off 15 balls. Their partnership shifted the momentum back towards the Men in Blue.

Despite the late dismissal of Hardik Pandya for 17, Samson remained unfazed. With Shivam Dube at the non-striker's end, Samson ignited the Kolkata crowd by smashing consecutive boundaries to seal the match with four balls to spare.

India had opened their campaign in Mumbai on February 7 with a clinical 29-run victory over the USA, followed by a commanding 93-run win against Namibia at the National Capital.

The momentum continued with another 61-run triumph over arch-rivals Pakistan in Colombo before a steady 17-run win against the Netherlands that ensured India's presence at the summit of Group A.

The Super 8 stage, however, provided India with a much needed reality check.

Suryakumar and co suffered a significant setback in their opener, falling to a dangerous South African side by 76 runs.

But in their following match, which was a must-win encounter, the Indians responded emphatically against Zimbabwe at Chepauk. India posted the tournament's highest total (256) before restricting the Chevrons to 184 for a 72-run win.

This victory improved India's net run rate and after South Africa's win over West Indies, the co-hosts just had to beat the 2016 champions to go through to the last 4 and that's what they did as well.

ICC T20 World Cup 2026: When Is India's Semi-Final Match?

India will go head-to-head with another 2-time champions England in the 2nd semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Thursday (March 5).

This will be the 3rd consecutive meeting between the two nations at this stage. In 2022 and 2024, the winner had eventually lifted the T20 World Cup trophy. Will it be the same this time around as well?