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England have booked their place in the semifinals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 after a four-wicket win over New Zealand in their final Super 8 match in Group 2. The match was part of the tournament being held in India and Sri Lanka.
New Zealand put up 159/7 on the board. Rehan Ahmed, Adil Rashid and Will Jacks picked up two wickets each to keep the total within reach. England then chased it down with three balls to spare and four wickets in hand.
How Sehwag become England's inspiration
At one stage, England still needed 43 runs from the last 20 balls. Rehan’s quick 19 off just seven deliveries shifted the momentum. After the game, he shared the advice he received from head coach Brendon McCullum before going out to bat.
“Baz actually sent one of the walkie talkie messages downstairs, saying ‘tell Reh to bat like Sehwag’," he revealed.
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Will Jacks lauded Harry Brook
Will Jacks, who was named Player of the Match, praised captain Harry Brook for the clear direction and positive atmosphere within the team.
“This group is the era of Harry Brook as white-ball captain," Jacks said.
“He has got us to play a certain way and the environment around the group is absolutely brilliant.
“Hopefully everyone can see we are having fun and are approaching the game in the right way."
How England qualified for T20 WC semis?
England did not have the smoothest start to the tournament. They edged past Nepal in a close game and then lost to the West Indies. However, wins over Scotland and Italy helped them reach the Super 8 stage.
England's T20 World Cup Super 8 performance
In the Super 8s, they were flawless, beating Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand to enter the semifinals on the back of five straight wins.
“If you can get yourself out of some tricky positions and end up winning games it does wonders for your confidence," Jacks said.
“There’s no better team than one that fights and finds a way of winning."
England on semifinal challange
England could now face India, South Africa or the West Indies in the semifinal. Jacks admitted that each opponent would bring its own challenge.
“Everyone knows about India and the storyline that brings," Jacks said.
“It could also be West Indies and they have beaten us in Mumbai.
“We know how tricky that will be. We will watching that game on Sunday. We will be prepared. We go in with optimism."
Jacks on England's performance
England have won six of their seven matches in the tournament so far. Jacks said the team is not worried about playing perfect cricket, as long as they get the job done.
“We’ve won six out of seven games and we’ve qualified for a semi-final," he said.
“At the end of the day, no-one really cares. We obviously want to play well in them but we’re not gutted we haven’t played a perfect game.
“That’s T20 cricket. What we’ve done well is the key moments – we’ve kept a calm and clear head and we’ve managed to get those rewards," Jacks concluded.
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