MUMBAI – In a thrilling semi-final clash at Wankhede Stadium, England’s Adil Rashid and Jos Buttler etched their names into T20 World Cup folklore on Thursday. As they stepped onto the field against India in the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final, both players became the first men to feature in seven knockout matches for England, a remarkable achievement that underscores their longevity and dominance in the shortest format.
Rohit Sharma holds the outright record with eight knockout appearances in men’s T20 World Cups, a testament to his storied career. Before Rashid and Buttler, legends like Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lasith Malinga, and Angelo Mathews had each played seven such high-stakes games.
Buttler’s entry into this semi-final marked his 43rd T20 World Cup match, propelling him to joint second place alongside Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan. Sharma remains the leader with 47 matches, followed by David Warner (41), Rashid himself (38), and Mahmudullah (37).
Captain Harry Brook won the toss and elected to bowl first, putting India into bat. Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten side fielded an unchanged XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Jasprit Bumrah.
England made one switch, bringing in Jamie Overton for Rehan Ahmed. Brook led a lineup featuring Phil Salt, Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, and Rashid.
This matchup pits two powerhouse teams against each other, with India aiming to leverage home advantage and England banking on their seasoned campaigners. As the balls fly at Wankhede, all eyes are on whether Rashid and Buttler’s historic presence can turn the tide in this crucial semi-final.