Mumbai, March 4 (NationPress) The Indian cricket team is poised for their sixth semi-final in 10 editions of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, set to clash with England in a knockout match at the Wankhede Stadium this Thursday as they strive to retain their World Cup title.

India first reached the semi-finals in the inaugural tournament back in 2007, where they triumphed over Australia by 15 runs in Durban, securing a spot in the finals against their long-standing rivals, Pakistan.

The Men in Blue scored 157 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs, thanks to a stellar 75-run performance from current head coach Gautam Gambhir. With exceptional bowling displays by RP Singh and Irfan Pathan, the MS Dhoni-led team defeated Pakistan in Johannesburg, clinching their first T20 World Cup championship.

However, the 2007 champions did not reach the semi-finals in the subsequent editions of 2009, 2010, and 2012. India's second appearance in the T20 World Cup semi-final occurred in 2014, where Virat Kohli's unbeaten 72 led them to victory against South Africa in Mirpur.

In the following final against Sri Lanka at Dhaka’s Shere Bangla National Stadium, Kohli delivered another impressive performance with 77 runs off 58 balls. Unfortunately, India fell short as Sri Lanka successfully chased down a target of 131 runs in just 17.5 overs.

India returned to the semi-finals in the 2016 edition, hosted on home soil, but were defeated by the eventual champions, West Indies, by seven wickets in Mumbai.

The 2022 semi-final was their fourth appearance, taking place during a tournament hosted by the defending champions, Australia. For the first time, India faced England in a T20 World Cup knockout match.

England bowled first and restricted India to 168 runs for 6 wickets, with Virat Kohli scoring a half-century and Hardik Pandya contributing 63 runs from 33 balls. Chris Jordan took three wickets for England. In response, England’s openers, Alex Hales and Jos Buttler, chased down the target without losing a wicket, achieving a commanding 10-wicket victory with four overs remaining, sending India home early.

In the 2024 tournament, co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies, India faced England for a second consecutive semi-final. This time, India aimed to avenge their 2022 defeat. Batting first, India posted 171 runs in 20 overs, led by Rohit Sharma with 57 runs, alongside notable contributions from Suryakumar Yadav (47) and Hardik Pandya (23 off 13).

England struggled in their chase and were bowled out for just 103 runs in 16.4 overs, with Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav each taking three wickets and Jasprit Bumrah claiming two. India emerged victorious by 68 runs and proceeded to win their second T20 World Cup title after defeating South Africa in the final.

The two teams are now gearing up for a third consecutive T20 World Cup semi-final showdown.