India's T20 World Cup journey ended in an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat against England in the second semi-final. Once again, the dream of lifting the ICC trophy vanished for the Men in Blue. The match proved that caution has no place in a T20 semi-final; the top order must attack. This was evident in the way Jos Buttler and Alex Hales approached the chase, ruthlessly attacking the bowlers to clinch a landslide win.
Choosing to field first, England struck early by removing KL Rahul for just 5. This sudden setback forced captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to play far too conservatively, killing the team's momentum. Rohit managed a modest 27 off 28 deliveries, while Suryakumar Yadav failed to fire, departing for a disappointing 14.
Virat Kohli played the role of the anchor, securing his fourth fifty of the tournament to keep India in the game. Hardik Pandya then shifted gears, turning a steady start into a late-game onslaught with a blistering 63 off 33 balls. His efforts pushed India's total to 168/6. Meanwhile, Chris Jordan played a pivotal role for England, claiming three crucial wickets.
England's chase was a masterclass in aggression. Captain Jos Buttler and Alex Hales took the game away from India from the very first ball, hitting the bowlers across the entire field. Both remained unbeaten—Butler with 80 and Hales with 86—making the target look trivial as they cruised to victory with four overs left on the clock.