Neither the rain nor the England cricket team could halt the Indian cricket team’s determined march to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final. Rohit Sharma’s men, displaying resilience and determination, scripted an emphatic 68-run triumph on a challenging Providence Stadium pitch on Thursday (June 27).

Held off thrice by the rain showers, India used the conditions to their favour and registered a competitive 171/7 in their 20 overs - thanks to the valiant knocks of the Hitman (57) and Aapla Dada Surya (47).

On the flip side, England’s chase of 172 runs and their title defence came crashing down as the intricate spin prowess of Kuldeep Yadav (3/19) and Axar Patel (3/23) dismantled ENG’s batting order inside 16.4 overs.

Relive the events of the India vs England clash in the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final.

Big game, big half-centuries for Ro-HIT

Once again, Rohit Sharma emerged as a critical player for India in a match of immense importance. His 57 runs in 39 balls not only significantly contributed to the Men in Blue's total but also underscored his exceptional skill and unwavering determination. His innings were pivotal in India's journey past the 100-run mark, making his performance in this match remarkable.

- 5000 runs as India's captain in international cricket

- most boundary fours in T20 World Cup history

- first Indian to hit 50 sixes in T20 World Cup

SKY’s strong cameo and India finish at 171

Following Rohit's lead, Suryakumar Yadav stepped up to the plate and played a determined innings of 47 runs from 36 balls. With a strike rate of 130.5, SKY hit four boundaries and two sixes, forming a crucial 73-run partnership for the third wicket. His resilience and determination against a challenging England attack were genuinely inspiring.

Later in the innings, Hardik Pandya (23), Ravindra Jadeja (17*), and Axar Patel (13) added the finishing touches, demonstrating the depth and strength of India's batting order. Their contributions were pivotal in India, reaching a score of 171/7.

Triple strike in the powerplay

Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, and Jonny Bairstow—the pillars of the ENG batting—were dismissed early in the powerplay by Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah. This put early pressure on the defending champions, who failed to read the pitch's mannerisms following the weather gods' multiple intrusions.

Axar, Kuldeep bring the spin mayhem upon England

Perhaps a rare occurrence, Axar Patel grabbed his first two wickets on the first ball of his initial two overs. But hold on, he went on to grab his third on the first ball of his third over as well.

Overs 3.1 - Jos Buttler

Overs 5.1 - Jonny Bairstow

Overs 7.1 - Moeen Ali

For what would have been his fourth, the all-rounder combined with Kuldeep Yadav to run out Liam Livingstone in a mixup of the English batters.

On his part, Kuldeep continued his wicket-taking spree from the Super 8s with a three-wicket haul (3/19). His dismissal deliveries were bang-on, hitting the stumps or plumb balls that ended as an LBW.

BOOM rounds up the revenge tale

Jasprit Bumrah was one of those Indians who could only watch the Adelaide 2022 heartbreak on their television sets. Come the 2024 edition of INDvENG at the T20 World Cup, BOOM’s low and full ​​142.8kph delivery clipped the leg stump of Jofra Archer and rounded up a morale-boosting 68-run triumph over the defending champions.

The blood, sweat and tears shed by this team were on display, the commitment, experience and talent on fleek, the raging confidence of Mission 2024 in unison with the Indian supporters and the celebration of the fact that India will play their first T20 World Cup final in 10 years. This victory is a testament to the unity and team spirit of the Indian cricket team.

It is time to recover as a box-office finale awaits at the Kensington Oval in Barbados: two unbeaten teams, India and South Africa, but one ultimate World T20 Champion. The world will be watching, and India will be watching. The prayers will be sung by the passionate Indian faithful across multiple time zones, with the belief that it is COMING HOME. The anticipation for the final match is palpable, and the excitement is building up.

Brief scores: India 171/7 (Rohit Sharma 57, Suryakumar Yadav 47; Chris Jordan 3/37) BEAT England 103 (Harry Brook 25; Kuldeep Yadav 3/19, Axar Patel 3/23) BY 68 RUNS.