India vs England semi-final preview: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

It’s a repetition of 2022 all over again. For back-to-back editions, the 2nd semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will feature India and England. England would want things to unfold in the exact way it did in 2022 while India would want it to be exactly the opposite. 

Match Details of IND vs ENG in the T20 World Cup 2024

Preview of Semi-final Match Between India vs England 

India appears to be the most well-organized and polished team in the ongoing Men’s T20 World Cup tournament. They proceeded to the semi-finals without losing a game and won most of their games commandingly. They dictated their opponents so far and look to be the top favorite to bring the trophy home. 

They have so far relied on team performances. Every single player of them had some significant contribution at some point in the game. The concern of skipper Rohit Sharma not being amongst highest run scorers was blown away after an assertive innings of 92 (41) against Australia. Now they are a side that fears nothing and can beat anyone in any situation. They can finally feel that this is the time to end their 11-year drought for an ICC trophy. Additionally, they would also look to take revenge for the last time when England crushed them in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022. 

They have so far only one concern which is the form of Virat Kohli. However, the way this team is going, they might not need him to do much either. 

England is one of the slow starters of the game. Their campaign so far has been astonishing, to say the least. They were almost on the cusp of going out in the group stage. Yet they not only passed the group stage but also fired in the Super 8 being the first team to ensure their place in the semi-finals. The most important thing for them was that their key players found their feet right in time. Jos Butler scored a fiery 83 against the USA, Phil Salt, and Jonny Bairstow were right on cue against the West Indies. The most important fact is that whoever gets a good start in this team, make sure to get them over the line. As a result, they have only two players in the top 10 run-scorer list and none in the top 10 wicket-takers (as a matter of fact, they are the only Super 8 side besides the USA who doesn’t have a bowler to take 10 wickets) yet they are comfortably sitting in the semi-finals. They will now try to do what they do best and defend the title for Champions of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Table: India Performance in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

Table: England Performance in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

Head-to-Head Records Between India and England So Far

Table: Head-to-Head Records in T20I

Table: Head-to-Head Records in T20 World Cup

The tie is evenly balanced between both sides. Both of them have 2 wins against each other in ICC T20 World Cup.

Probable Lineups of ENG vs IND Semi-final Match

India

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kuldeep Yadav.

England

Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (Captain), Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, and Reece Topley.

Key Players to Watch in India Team

Rohit Sharma

After a quiet start to the tournament, Rohit Sharma stepped on the gas peddle right at the business end of the tournament after his blistering innings of 92 against Australia. The pitch of Guyana requires teams to utilize the powerplay to put on a good total. As a result, the role of the Indian skipper becomes more crucial. He has a century against England and scores against them at an average of 34.16. India will hope their skipper displays something similar he did against Australia. 

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is another Indian who brings out his best against England. His most runs and most wickets against an opponent are against England. Hardik Pandya might have been the most influential player for India this time. He also scored 63 off 33 against England last time they faced in the 2022 World Cup semi-final. Hardik Pandya would love to have another massive performance against his favorite opponent this time. 

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav has been key for India by picking up crucial wickets in the middle overs and not letting the opponents settle. He has done his job perfectly and he has to do it once again. Guyana traditionally favors the spinners. England’s middle order consists of dangerous Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, and Liam Livingstone. If their wickets are not picked up early, India are in big trouble. Kuldeep Yadav needs to make sure that does not happen. 

Key Players to Watch in England Team

Adil Rashid

Adil Rashid is the joint most wicket-taker for England. He has been the prime and the most consistent wicket-taker for this England side. As mentioned earlier, Guyana is supposed to favor spinners. Therefore, Adil Rashid will be the bowler to look out for Indian batters. 

Jos Buttler

England fans might say “You have Rohit Sharma, we have Jos Buttler” and they would not be wrong. The English skipper also had a slow start but picked up his form at the right time with his 83(39) against the USA. India is also among his favorite opponents. Additionally, he scored 80(49) in that 2nd semi-final of the 2022 World Cup. Therefore, he can give England a brilliant head-start in this game. 

Moeen Ali

Moeen Ali might be the most important player for England in this game. He did not have an overwhelming campaign so far but this might just be this game. His off-spin can be vital against a left-handed packed Indian middle-order. Adding to that, he will have an advantage against the spin unit of India, consisting of two left-arm orthodox and one Chinaman, being a left-handed batter himself. Therefore, a lot lies on his shoulders and he has shown previously many times that he can deliver exactly when needed the most. 

Verdict

The ICC 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final match between India and England is supposed to see a neck-and-neck competition given these two team’s profiles. Still, India might just be the slight favorite given their form. However, writing England off is not a wise option either. All the fans care about is that they are in for a blockbuster game.