IND vs ENG, T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Final: Cheteshwar Pujara Reveals Strategy to Tackle England Captain: ‘HeWill Be Most Dangerous Bowler’ | Image Source - Instagram/@cheteshwar_pujara
The Indian cricket team is all set to lock its horns with England in the high-profile semi-final 2 of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Ahead of the much-awaited clash, former Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara has highlighted the challenge England captain Harry Brook poses for Indian bowlers.
The IND vs ENG T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Final match is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. The toss will take place at 6:30 PM. Cheteshwar Pujara suggested the Suryakumar Yadav-led side should aim for the stumps consistently in order to restrict Harry Brook from scoring big.
It has to be noted that Harry Brook has been one of England’s standout performers in the tournament so far, with scores of 100 off 51 balls against Pakistan, 26 against New Zealand, 4 against Sri Lanka, and 8 against Nepal. Brook’s century against Pakistan also made him the first captain to score a hundred in the men’s T20 World Cup.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Cheteshwar Pujara explained how Indian bowlers should approach Brook in the semi-final:
“If you see, the majority of his runs are on the leg side. However, someone like Harry Brook is also strong on the offside. So, it is not just about the data; you also need to consider the batter’s strengths. Brook predominantly scores on the leg side, but at the same time, he can score on the off-side as well. How do you get him out? By keeping as many deliveries as possible on the stumps, because whenever he misses, the ball should hit the stumps. When he creates room on the off-side, that is where he is slightly vulnerable.”
Pujara also highlighted mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy as a key weapon against Brook:
“I think Varun will be the most dangerous bowler against Harry Brook because Brook likes to play the sweep and the slog sweep. If he is given any room on the off-side, Varun has his googly, which comes back in and hits the stumps. Out of his three dismissals, two have been bowled. So, as a bowler, you should target the middle and off stump, or at most the fourth stump, nothing wider than that.”
Abhishek Sharma is having a disappointing time in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. While he has been receiving criticism from all corners, Pujara has come out in support of him. Pujara suggested some technical adjustments Abhishek Sharma has made to his batting stance and alignment:
“If you look at his stance, his front-foot toe is now facing towards cover, and his shoulders are straight. Earlier, his toe was pointing towards mid-off, and his shoulder was open. With the current stance, his hands are very close to his body, which is also allowing him to maintain good balance with his head.”
Furthermore, Cheteshwar Pujara highlighted that Abhishek is particularly strong on the off side:
“Abhishek is very strong on the off side. If you look at his boundary options, anything in that zone, in the fifth or sixth stump line, closer to the wide line, he is extremely strong, and his strike-rate is very good.”
He also explained why this technique helps against bowlers like Jofra Archer:
“Now, what is Jofra Archer’s strength? Most of his deliveries, when he releases the ball, go away from the left-hander. That is why Abhishek has been very successful against Jofra Archer in the past. I still believe that even at the Wankhede, he will look to give himself a little bit of room, try to go over point or over cover, and score as many runs as possible on the off side.”
The winner of this semi-final clash between India and England will face New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Predicted Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (WK), Harry Brook (C), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
Sanju Samson thoroughly dominated the England bowling unit as he hammered a 42-ball 89 in…
After the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena sank in the Indian Ocean following a reported US…
The US military has released a nearly four-minute video titled “Operation Epic Fury: 100 Hours,”…
