India’s win over England in the semi-final of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup won praise from former skipper Kapil Dev, who singled out Jasprit Bumrah for his period under pressure and described him as the world’s number one bowler.India beat England in the semi-final in Mumbai to reach the final of the tournament. They will face New Zealand for the title on Sunday in Ahmedabad.
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Kapil Dev praised Bumrah’s performance in the match and said that the player deserves respect for the way he performed in crucial situations. He also praised wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson for scoring consecutive fifties in the tournament.Bumrah returned figures of 1 for 33 in four overs. While other Indian bowlers were attacked by the English batsmen, Bumrah maintained his control during his spell.
“It was a triumph of cricket. I think he (Jasprit Bumrah) is the number one player in the world. The way he performs under pressure, he deserves respect. Sanju Samson has played brilliant cricket in the last two matches. The final is up for grabs. Yes, individuals are important, but when the team plays, you witness victory,” Kapil Dev told reporters, as quoted by news agency ANI.India had earlier posted 253 for 7 after being asked to bat first.
Samson led the scoring with 89 off 42 balls. England remained in the hunt for most of the match throughout Jacob Bethell’s century.The turning point came in the 18th over when Bumrah conceded just six runs. England needed 45 runs from the last three overs to start that one.Kapil Dev also praised the Indian team for the way it handled the semi-final.“It felt very good. I didn’t think the semifinals would be so difficult when [teams recently] Over 250 runs were scored, and after that, excellent cricket was played.
The Indian team won, and my congratulations to them. It was so much fun. “This enjoyment came not only from the bowlers but also from the batsmen,” Kapil Dev added.India now has a chance to achieve many milestones in the final against New Zealand. They are aiming to become the first host team to win a T20 World Cup, the first team to defend the title and the first team to win the tournament three times.India secured their place in the final after defeating England in the semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.