India’s Wankhede semi-final curse will favour England in T20 World Cup clash

India will be facing England in the all-important semi-final clash on Thursday, March 5, at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The match is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM IST. The Men in Blue are coming with high confidence after their 5 wickets win against the West Indies in a virtual quarter-final.

On the other hand, England taken a rise since the Super 8 stages as they will feature in this match after an unbeaten run of three matches. This will be the third consecutive meeting between the two sides in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. The head-to-head is evenly poised with one win for both sides in the last two games.

India is yet to win against England

India National Cricket Team won by 68 runs in the semi-final. England won back in 2022 by 10 wickets. However, this is the first time that these two sides will meet in a T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium.

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India's Wankhede record at the ODI World Cup

Previously, these two sides have only once met in a World Cup back in 1987, during the Reliance World Cup semi-final. India lost the match by 35 runs while chasing a target of 255 runs. After almost four decades, the two teams are yet again face to face in a World Cup semi-final, however, in a different format.

India's World Cup semi-final record still haunts them

Suryakumar Yadav’s side would be hopeful that they come out on top against the Three Lions, as they do not have a good record at this very venue. They have not won a single knockout game in the World Cup at Wankhede Stadium.

The last time the Men in Blue played a T20 World Cup semi-final was back in 2016 against the West Indies. The Men in Blue lost by 7 wickets despite scoring 196 in their 20 overs. However, they would want to change their fate and win the game and qualify for the finals.

India's Wankhede record at the T20 World Cup

India's last World Cup match at this venue was back in 2023, as they defeated New Zealand in the ODI World Cup 2023 semi-final by 70 runs. So far, both India and England have lost one game at this tournament. Suryakumar Yadav’s side would look to break the Wankhede curse in the World Cup knockout format.

Sanju Samson key to India's success

Since the inclusion of Sanju Samson, India has been performing well. The wicket-keeper batter has found his form just at the right time, scoring a match-winning 97* off 50 balls against the West Indies, and helped his team chase down the target of 196 with four balls to spare.

On the other hand, the two England openers Jos Buttler and Phil Salt have been quiet. The former has been struggling to get runs, and this could be the match against India where Buttler can show his class and get his team over the line.

Toss won’t be a key factor as there will not be much dew in the latter part of the innings. Both captains would want to win the toss and bat first in a high-pressure game like a semi-final.

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