Mumbai, Mar 5: England skipper Harry Brook won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

The decision sets up a high-voltage clash between two cricketing heavyweights, with a place in the final against New Zealand at stake.

Brook, explaining his choice, said: “We’re going to have a bowl. Looks like a good wicket, hopefully we can get off to a good start with the ball. They’ve obviously got a lot more experience on this ground than us. T20 cricket is such a fickle game, you never know what’s going to happen. Hopefully we can keep them quiet (the crowd).” England made one change, bringing in Jamie Overton for Rehan Ahmed.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, leading the side in a major ICC knockout for the first time, said he was content to bat first. “We were looking to bat first. Semifinal, big game, and there’s wind around too. Don’t think there will be much dew. Looks like a good one (the pitch). The best one. Credit to all the curators and groundsmen. Same team,” he remarked.

With both teams boasting explosive batting and potent bowling attacks, the semifinal promises to be a thrilling contest. The Wankhede crowd, known for its electric atmosphere, is expected to play a crucial role as India seek to reach the final on home soil.

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Teams:

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

England (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Jos Buttler(w), Harry Brook(c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid