India’s wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson gave his team a strong start in the second semifinal of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Sanju Samson's knock against England
Opening the innings, Samson played an aggressive knock and scored 89 runs off just 42 balls. The 31-year-old from Kerala entertained the crowd with his attacking batting, smashing 8 fours and 7 sixes during his innings.
Samson’s impressive knock came to an end in the 14th over. England’s Will Jacks dismissed him on the very first ball of the over. Samson tried to go for another big shot but ended up giving a catch to Phil Salt.
Although Samson missed out on what looked like a well-deserved century, his innings still helped him achieve a big milestone. With his score of 89, he matched Virat Kohli’s record for the highest score by an Indian batter in a knockout match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Kohli had scored an unbeaten 89 runs off 47 balls against the West Indies in the second semifinal of the 2016 T20 World Cup, which was also played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Kohli later retired from T20 internationals after India won the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, the record for the highest score in a knockout match of a Men’s T20 World Cup belongs to New Zealand’s Finn Allen. He scored a blazing 100 off just 33 balls against South Africa in the first semifinal of the 2026 tournament, played in Kolkata on March 4.
Highest individual scores in T20 World Cup knockout matches
| PLAYER | COUNTRY | RUNS | BALLS | 4/6s | AGAINST | MATCH TYPE | VENUE | DATE |
| Finn Allen | New Zealand | 100* | 33 | 10/8 | South Africa | Semifinal | Kolkata | March 4, 2026 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | Sri Lanka | 96* | 57 | 12/2 | West Indies | Semifinal | The Oval | June 19, 2009 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 89* | 47 | 11/1 | West Indies | Semifinal | Mumbai (WS) | March 31, 2016 |
| Sanju Samson | India | 89 | 42 | 8/7 | England | Semifinal | Mumbai (WS) | March 5, 2026 |
| Alex Hales | England | 86* | 47 | 4/7 | India | Semifinal | Adelaide | November 10, 2022 |
| Marlon Samuels | West Indies | 85* | 66 | 9/2 | England | Final | Kolkata | April 3, 2016 |
| Kane Williamson | New Zealand | 85 | 48 | 10/3 | Australia | Final | Dubai | November 14, 2021 |
| Lendl Simmons | West Indies | 82* | 51 | 7/5 | India | Semifinal | Mumbai (WS) | March 31, 2016 |
| Jos Buttler | England | 80* | 49 | 9/3 | India | Semifinal | Adelaide | November 10, 2022 |
| Marlon Samuels | West Indies | 78 | 56 | 3/6 | Sri Lanka | Final | Colombo (RPS) | October 7, 2012 |
| Jason Roy | England | 78 | 44 | 11/2 | New Zealand | Semifinal | Delhi | March 30, 201 |