India will face England in the second semi-final at Wankhede Stadium. (AP)
New Delhi: The 2026 ICC T20 World Cup broke viewership records in India, with over 500 million fans in attendance – the highest ever number for any T20 World Cup in history. ICC Chairman Jay Shah celebrated this achievement, describing it as a proud moment for the global game.Go beyond boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!
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In a post on X, Shah revealed that the tournament was conceived with the ambition of making it the most “global” and “accessible” cricket event ever. He said that this vision has already begun to bear fruit.
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“The @ICC #T20WorldCup 2026 journey began with the ambition to make it the most #global and #accessible cricket event ever. I’m humbled that viewership for the event in India has crossed 500 million, the highest ever for any T20 World Cup in history.
It was also encouraging to see @JioHotstar’s concurrent viewers reach 60.5 million. “As the knockout matches of the tournament begin tonight, we hope that the immeasurable love our events are receiving from Indian fans will help them break more records,” Shah wrote.
The digital numbers were equally impressive, with concurrent viewing on JioHotstar peaking at 60.5 million – underscoring the tournament’s massive online engagement.
The World Cup now moves to a high-effort knockout stage. The first semi-final will be held at Eden Gardens, where Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand will take on Eden Markham’s unbeaten South Africa. The Proteas, the only team yet to lose a match, will aim to extend their dominance and book a final berth in the T20 World Cup for the second time in a row.India face England in the second semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. India go into the encounter on the back of a thumping win over West Indies in a must-win Super 8 match, while Harry Brook’s England are on a five-match winning streak.
