Mumbai, March 5 (NationPress) In a stunning display of batting prowess, Sanju Samson struck his second consecutive half-century, forging crucial partnerships with Ishan Kishan and Shivam Dube as India set a daunting target of 253/7 in 20 overs against England during the Semifinal 2 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

After making a sensational comeback with an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in the last Super 8 match, Samson continued his power-hitting assault, scoring 89 runs off just 42 balls and hitting a remarkable seven sixes.

Ishan Kishan contributed a quickfire 39 off 18 balls, while Dube added 43 off 25 balls (1x4, 4x6). Despite a few late wickets from the English bowlers, India managed to post a significant total.

Samson exploded from the start, smashing Jofra Archer for both a four and a six in the very first over. Although he lost Abhishek Sharma (9 runs off 7 balls, 2x4) early on, Samson maintained high momentum throughout his innings, delivering boundaries in all directions—straight, extra-cover, mid-wicket, and more—as he struck eight fours and seven sixes in total.

After winning the toss, England's captain Harry Brook chose to field first. India lost Abhishek Sharma early, caught by Will Jacks, but it could have been worse if Brook had not dropped a catch off Samson in the third over.

Following that, Samson unleashed a barrage of boundaries, treating all bowlers with contempt. Archer's initial overs saw him concede 26 runs, as Samson dealt with Jacks, Sam Curran, and Adil Rashid mercilessly. He completed his fifty off just 26 balls, marking his second consecutive fifty in this tournament.

Samson and Kishan shared a partnership of 97 runs for the second wicket, with both players attacking the bowlers effectively. The duo scored 19 runs off Liam Dawson and 20 runs off Curran in quick succession during the eighth and ninth overs. Samson also collaborated with Shivam Dube for a partnership worth 43 runs for the third wicket.

Just as he seemed poised to achieve his maiden century in the T20 World Cup, Samson was caught out by Phil Salt off Will Jacks, attempting a wide delivery.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav managed only 11 runs, and while Dube was performing well, his unfortunate run-out following a mix-up with Hardik Pandya (27 runs off 12 balls) dampened India's momentum. Tilak Varma made a quick impact with a couple of sixes in his 7-ball innings, helping India to a formidable total that will challenge England's response.

Brief scores:

India 253/7 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 89, Shivam Dube 43, Ishan Kishan 39; Will Jacks 2-40, Adil Rashid 2-41) against England.