T20 World Cup, India Vs England Semi-final: Abhishek Faces Axe; Kuldeep Could Be Back!

India and England, the undisputed powerhouses of the modern game, are set for a blockbluster clash in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

With a place in the final on the line, the stakes couldn't be bigger for the two-time T20 World Cup winners.

India are looking to create history, as they aim to become the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup, while England will aim to reclaim the title they last won four years ago.

India come into the semi-final full of confidence with confident victories as their batting line-up finally hit top gear against Zimbabwe and a fighting victory against the West Indies bouncing back after a poor defeat against South Africa.

Similarly, England showed incredible depth in their batting when they clinched an unbelievable victory from a position of no-hope in a thrilling run chase in their previous game against New Zealand, to build up on commanding victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the Super 8s.

They had struggled in the group stages -- suffering a big defeat against West Indies, surviving a last-ball thriller against Nepal, along with unconvincing victories against Scotland and Italy.

India's Superior Head To Head Record Vs England

Interestingly, India and England have clashed in the semi-finals of the last two World Cups -- and incredibly both times the winner of the match went on to win the World Cup.

In 2022, England handed India a 10-wicket thrashing at Melbourne before they beat Pakistan in the final.

Two years later, India extracted revenge for that defeat when they outclassed England by 68 runs in the semi-final of the next World Cup in Providence on June 27, 2024 before going on to edge South Africa in a thrilling final for their second T20 World Cup title.

Overall, the two teams have played each other five times in T20 World Cups, with India holding a slight 3-2 advantage.

India also lead in the head to head count in T20 Internationals, winning 17 out of 29 matches played, including 10 wins out of 16 matches played at home.

Batting Woes For India And England

Despite their home advantage, India still face big concerns in their batting unit. Abhishek Sharma has endured a rough patch with the bat. Except for the 55 against Zimbabwe, his batting has been a major letdown -- with 25 coming from his other five innings, including three ducks in a row at the start of the tournament.

After the highs of 2025, Abhishek's batting form has taken a sharp nosedive this year. The left-hander has fallen for ducks in five of his last 10 innings in T20 Internationals, while crossing just the 30-run mark, just three times.

If Abhishek is axed, then all-rounder Washington Sundar could be brought back, which would result in a complete rejig of their batting line-up. It could see moving Ishan Kishan moving to the opening slot with Sanju Samson, while bringing back Tilak Varma to his preferred No 3 slot.

Or a simple option would be bring back Rinku Singh to add firepower to their lower order, but his lack of game time in the World Cup could go against him.

Notably, Kishan has also struggled to get back to his best since that memorable half-century against Pakistan, having made just 66 runs in the last four games.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav's form has dipped alarmingly since his match-winning knock in the opening game against the USA. He has fallen in the 30s three times in the last six innings, while he has failed to get past 30 in the other three.

If not for Sanju Samson's match-winning 97 from 50 balls against the West Indies, India would have struggled to chase down 196.

Varma has adjusted brilliantly to the change in his batting position, playing two quickfire knocks at No 5 against Zimbabwe and the West Indies.

Shivam Dube has also been quite effective with the bat, but the lack of runs from Hardik Pandya is hurting India's momentum in the death overs.

On the bowling front, spin could be a major weapon against England, but the below-par performances from lead spinner Varun Chakravarthy could force the Indian camp to draw up a new strategy for the semi-final. He has failed to impose himself against tougher opponents in the Super 8s stage, taking three wickets in three games, while conceding 122 runs in 12 overs at an economy rate of 10.16.

Will India Unleash Kuldeep Against England?

Chakravarthy's below-par showing could pave the way for the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav, given his good record in T20 internationals -- 95 wickets in 54 matches at an economy rate of 6.95, with two five-wicket hauls.

He starred in India's T20 World Cup triumph in 2024, with 10 wickets in five games, including 3/19 in four overs against England in the semi-finals -- the only time he has played against them in T20 Internationals.

Bringing back Kuldeep means dropping pacer Arshdeep Singh, leaving Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya as the two specialist pace bowlers. The troika of Chakravarthy, Kuldeep and Axar Patel could be more than a handful on the Wankhede pitch, which is likely to aid spinners.

Interestingly, the pitch for the semi-final will be the same that was used for England-West Indies match on February 11, 2026, and the Italy-Nepal match the next, where the spinners excelled including Italy's Crishan Kalugamage (3/18), England's Adil Rashid (2/16) and West Indians Roston Chase (2/29) and Gudakesh Motie (3/33).

India will do well to remember how England's batters struggled against New Zealand's left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra, who ran through the middle order with excellent figures of 3/19. England had also struggled to cope with the Pakistan spin duo of Mohammad Nawaz (2/26) and Usman Tariq (2/31).

Can India's Bowlers Stop Will Jacks, Harry Brook?

England's hopes rest largely on their batting mainstay and Captain Harry Brook, who was brutal against the spinners when he slammed a blistering 50-ball century against Pakistan. Their biggest weapon will be all-rounder Will Jacks, who has been the outstanding player of the T20 World Cup.

Batting at No 7, Jacks has been England's hero with the bat, slamming 191 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 176.85, while making a key contribution with the ball with a total of seven wickets.

Like India, England's top order is a big worry for them. The experienced Jos Buttler has struggled to fire in the World Cup so far, with a poor tally of 62 runs in seven games, including single digit scores in his last five games.

Phil Salt is a big threat in the Powerplay but he has also scored 0 and 2 in the last two games against Pakistan and New Zealand respectively.

No 3 Jacob Bethell, who scored 32 runs in three matches in the Super 8s, will need to produce a decisive knock with the bat to take the pressure off Brook. Tom Banton has disappointed too, managing 138 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 127.77.

India would ideally want a flat track which suits their aggressive style of batting but a batting-friendly track could blunt their spinners against an equally-explosive England's batting line-up.

HEAD TO HEAD: India vs England in T20Is

Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh/Kuldeep Yadav.

Will India leave out the struggling Abhishek Sharma? Will they bring back Kuldeep Yadav?

Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the semi-final against England on Thursday?

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• T20 World Cup 2026