India vs England: T20 World Cup Semifinal Preview

India have the chance to avenge their 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal defeat by England when the two teams meet at the same stage of the tournament in Thursday’s fixture in Guyana.

England thrashed India by 10 wickets in the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal in Adelaide as captain Jos Buttler scored an unbeaten 80, while fellow opener Alex Hales was 86 not out.

Although the match was best remembered for the Buttler-Hales 170-run unbeaten partnership, England’s bowlers also played a big role, especially Chris Jordan who picked up three wickets.

England later went on to lift the trophy that year, beating Pakistan in the final.

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England captain Buttler is in good form at the tournament this year with 191 runs in six innings, boasting a batting average of 47.75. Apart from Buttler, his opening partner Phil Salt has also been impressive, scoring 183 runs in six innings, and averaging 45.75 per inning.

The in-form batting duo will challenge India’s bowlers, as England aim to become the first men’s team to retain a T20 World Cup.

For India, few things have changed since their 2022 semi-final defeat – the men in blue have more firepower in their batting unit, more options through the middle overs, and more variation in their attack.

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As one of the only two unbeaten teams in the tournament, India are keen to lift the trophy, having not won the title since its debut edition in 2007. India are also on the hunt for their first World Cup win in any format since 2011.

Speaking to the media before the match, England all-rounder Moeen Ali described India as a “brilliant side”.

“They’ve got everything covered, so we’re going to have to be at our best to beat them,” Moeen said, according to ESPNCricinfo.

“I’m looking forward to it, actually: it’s a great challenge, similar to the last time we played them in the semi-final in Australia.

“It’s going to be a challenge, and we’re going to have to plan and play really well.”

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Route To Semi-Finals

India have enjoyed an unbeaten record in the completed matches at the tournament. They finished on top of Group A with seven points from four matches, as they won three games while one was washed out.

In the Super Eights phase, they defeated Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Australia to finish on top of Group 1.

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England, on the other hand, had a shaky start as their first group game was washed out and then they lost to Australia in the third match. However, they bounced back by beating Oman and Namibia, finishing Group B in second place on net run rate above Scotland.

England’s Super Eights stage began with a solid win over the West Indies but they lost to South Africa in the next game, which put them under pressure yet again. However, England thrashed the U.S. by 10 wickets and South Africa’s victory over West Indies consigned them to second spot in Group 2.

Squad And Team News

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India’s squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

England’s squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.

India could bring in spinner Chahal given the nature of the surface in Guyana, while England could opt to bring back Jacks for some part-time spin bowling. They also have a spinner in Hartley, who is yet to make his debut.

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What Happens If It Rains?

According to The Weather Channel, there is a 70% chance of rain in Guyana on Thursday. Showers and thunderstorms are expected.

There is no reserve day for the India vs England match, which is the second semi-final. The first semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan has a reserve day.

According to ESPNCricinfo, the India vs England semi-final will have 250 minutes of additional time available on the scheduled day in case of any delays.