T20 WC: India or England, who has better powerplay record in the tournament
The defending champions India, in the seven matches so far in the tournament, have scored 399 runs in the powerplay while losing 14 wickets in the process
 "T20 WC: India or England, who has better powerplay record in the tournament")
The second semifinal match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will see defending champions India take on England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. Both teams are looking to win a record third World Cup title. However, to keep that dream alive, they must first book their place in the title clash against New Zealand on Sunday.
In modern-day T20 cricket, an aggressive start in the powerplay has become a key aspect for any team’s success. However, despite making their way into the final four, both India and England have had mixed returns in the first six overs throughout the tournament.
In this article, we take a look at how both teams have performed in the powerplay stages so far in the tournament and try to find out who has the edge ahead of the much-anticipated semifinal clash.
Aggressive yet underwhelming approach by India
Defending champions India, in the seven matches so far in the tournament, have scored 399 runs in the powerplay while losing 14 wickets in the process. However, they have managed to score less than 50 runs in the powerplay on only two occasions — 46 against the USA and 31 against South Africa.
India’s best powerplay score came against Namibia, where they scored 86 runs for the loss of one wicket. While India have often enjoyed healthy starts in the powerplay, they have also lost almost two wickets per game in this phase, putting the incoming batters under additional pressure.
India’s powerplay scores in T20 World Cup 2026
| vs Team | Runs | Wickets | Round |
| USA | 46 | 4 | Group Stage |
| Namibia | 86 | 1 | Group Stage |
| Pakistan | 52 | 1 | Group Stage |
| Netherlands | 51 | 2 | Group Stage |
| South Africa | 31 | 3 | Super 8 |
| Zimbabwe | 80 | 1 | Super 8 |
| West Indies | 53 | 2 | Super 8 |
No Bazball in the powerplay for England
England are among the key reasons why aggressive starts in the powerplay phase became common in T20 cricket. With their Bazball approach, they have often piled up runs in the powerplay to put the opposition under pressure early in the innings.
However, that has not been the case for the Three Lions in the 2026 T20 World Cup. In seven matches, they have scored just 360 runs in the powerplay at an average of 51.42 and have lost an average of two wickets in each game.
While England’s middle and lower order have often managed to recover from early setbacks, they would want a stronger start against India to boost their chances of making the final.
England’s powerplay scores in T20 World Cup 2026
| vs Team | Runs | Wickets | Round |
| Nepal | 57 | 2 | Group Stage |
| West Indies | 67 | 1 | Group Stage |
| Scotland | 43 | 2 | Group Stage |
| Italy | 56 | 2 | Group Stage |
| Sri Lanka | 37 | 2 | Super 8 |
| Pakistan | 53 | 3 | Super 8 |
| New Zealand | 47 | 3 | Super 8 |
Trouble with the openers’ form
One of the biggest reasons behind the underwhelming powerplay returns for both India and England has been the poor form of their opening pairs. India’s openers, in seven matches, have added just 111 runs for the first wicket at an average of 15.85, while England’s openers have managed only 84 runs at an average of 12.
Both teams will need their openers to provide a strong start in the powerplay if they want to take early control of the semifinal clash. Based on the current numbers, defending champions India appear to have a slight edge over England in the opening phase of the game ahead of Thursday’s match.