India produced a historic and record-breaking performance in their T20 World Cup semi-final against England, posting 253/7, the highest score ever in an international T20 knockout or playoff match. England’s 246/7 in reply ranks second on that list, surpassing Italy’s 244/4 against Romania in the 2024 Sub-Regional Europe Qualifier A Final. Before this match, only once had a team crossed 200 in a T20 World Cup semi-final: West Indies scored 205/4 against Australia in 2012.
Milestones and Records
The semi-final set multiple records for both India and international T20 cricket:
| Record | Statistic | Context / Previous Record |
|---|---|---|
| India’s Semi-final Score | 253/7 | Highest in T20 knockout match |
| England’s Score | 246/7 | Second highest in T20 knockout match |
| 200+ T20 Scores by India | 6 | Double that of West Indies & Zimbabwe (3) |
| T20 World Cup Final Appearances | 4 | 2007, 2014, 2024; most for any team |
| ICC Tournament Finals | 15 | Most finals by any nation; Australia second with 14 |
| Combined Match Total | 499 | Second highest in international T20s; highest in World Cup |
| India’s Boundaries | 73 | World Cup record; 360 runs from boundaries, first time >300 in WC match |
| India’s Sixes | 19 | Tied highest in a WC innings; 88 sixes in this tournament, new record |
| Jacob Bethell’s Century | 105 runs | Highest in T20 WC knockout; fifth highest in intl. T20 knockout |
| Bethell’s Age | 22 years, 133 days | Third youngest centurion across all formats |
| Bethell Balls Faced for Century | 46 | Second fastest World Cup century; 19 balls to fifty, England’s fastest |
| Sixes Conceded by Jofra Archer | 7 | Most by any bowler in a WC match; 61 runs in 4 overs, record for England |
Jacob Bethell’s century stood out for its youthful brilliance. At 22 years and 133 days, he became the third-youngest centurion across formats. Uniquely, all of Bethell’s first-class, List A, and T20 centuries have come in international cricket. His fifty came off just 19 balls, the fastest for an English batter in T20 World Cup history, while his 46-ball century was the tournament’s second quickest.
The match was extraordinary for the sheer number of boundaries and sixes. India and England combined for 73 boundaries, producing 360 runs from boundaries alone—the first time a World Cup innings yielded over 300 runs in this way. The teams also hit 34 sixes in total, setting a new World Cup record and ranking fourth in international T20 cricket.
India’s 88 sixes in this World Cup now mark the most in any T20 tournament, surpassing Bulgaria’s 78 in a 2025 tri-nation series. In addition, India hit 19 sixes in the semi-final innings alone, tying the joint highest in a World Cup match. England’s Jofra Archer bore the brunt, conceding seven sixes, the most ever by a bowler in a World Cup game, while leaking 61 runs in four overs, another unwanted record.
This explosive semi-final performance not only secured India’s place in the final but also set new benchmarks for high-scoring T20 cricket, underlining the dominance and depth of India’s batting line-up in the modern game.
Sources: ICC, T20 World Cup Statistics, Match Reports
