New Delhi: India and England face off in the rematch of the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal when both teams clash in a high-octane last-four clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
India might have edged past the Three Lions by 68 runs in their previous semifinal meeting at the Providence Stadium, Georgetown, but will also remember the 10-wicket drubbing in the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal in Adelaide.
After starting slowly, England are peaking at the right time, while India will be full of confidence from a clinical win against the West Indies in a must-win game on Sunday. Both teams might have qualified for the semifinals on the back of some impressive results, but have yet to play a perfect game.
Frailties of both teams have been exposed by their opponents in various stages, and they would like to capitalise on the weak spots in the second semifinal to book a meeting with New Zealand in the summit clash. The Kiwis crushed South Africa in the first semifinal in Kolkata on Wednesday to qualify for the final scheduled on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
But before one of the two teams heads to Ahmedabad, Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium will be in focus on Thursday.
Wankhede Stadium: Haven for India, hell for England
Wankhede is a ground of some fond memories for India and some bad ones for England. It is the same ground where India lifted the 2011 ODI World Cup title fifteen years ago. It is also the same ground where India haven’t lost a T20I match since 2017.
The Men In Blue have a superb record at the Wankhede with five wins in seven T20Is, with one of those coming against England last year in February. It was a chastening evening for the Three Lions, who were beaten by a world record margin of 150 runs courtesy of a blistering knock of 135 off 54 balls by Abhishek Sharma, who helped India post 247/9 in 20 overs, their highest total at this venue.
And while Abhishek will look to find some inspiration from the whirlwind knock to gain some much-needed form and rhythm, England would be looking to forget their damaging outings of the past on this ground.
It was on Wankhede that England lost their only match of the ongoing tournament, suffering a 30-run loss to the West Indies in the group stage and survived a massive scare against Nepal.
Two years ago, during the 2023 ODI World Cup, England, the then-defending ODI world champions, suffered a massive 229-run loss against South Africa at the Wankhede.
It was another chastening day for the 2019 world champions, who not only conceded their highest total (399/7) in ODIs, but also were dismissed for 170 with 28 overs to spare in their heaviest defeat by runs in ODI cricket.
While the past records and results go out of the window in a knockout match at the world stage, the memories, especially bad ones, continue to come back to haunt.
England would hope that’s not the case on Thursday.