India captain Suryakumar Yadav lavished rich praise on India pacer Jasprit Bumrah for his splendid bowling performance and Sanju Samson for his amazing knock in a run-fest second semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2026 against England on March 5 in Mumbai.

India defeated England in a high-scoring thriller. Asked to bat first, thanks to Sanju Samson’s 89, Shivam Dube’s 43, Ishan Kishan’s 39, and cameos by Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya, India posted 253/7 in 20 overs.

On a belter of a pitch, Jacob Bethell led the England charge with a terrific 105 in 48 balls, aided by Will Jacks (35), Jos Buttler (25), and Sam Curran (18). England could only manage 246/7 and lost the semi-final by 7 runs.

In the post-match presentation, Suryakumar Yadav lauded Sanju Samson's scintillating knock and Jasprit Bumrah's four-over spell of just 1/33 runs.

"It is an unbelievable feeling. Obviously, playing in India, leading such a wonderful side, and with the World Cup happening here, going to Ahmedabad to play that final... I think it's a special feeling for all the boys. I think he knew what he wanted to do as soon as he went in to bat (on Sanju Samson). Even when a wicket fell, he knew the wicket was good, so he kept pressing the pedal. The way he batted was exactly what the team required. It was due after all the hard work he's been putting in over the last year. It was a special knock today,” Suryakumar said about Samson during the post-match presentation.

He was particularly impressed by England's batting performance, stating that he spoke with England captain Harry Brook about how much India would need to score against their hard-hitting batting lineup.

"But honestly, it was a good wicket. The way they batted, I do not want to take credit away from them. They were always in the game and always in the chase. But the way Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and the other bowlers pulled the game back was unbelievable. We all know what he is capable of and what he has done for India over the years (on Jasprit Bumrah). He did the same thing again today, raising his hand and showing character to pull the game away from them. It was a special bowling performance," said Suryakumar.

He also praised fielding coach T Dilip's part in the team's outstanding catching, with Axar Patel putting on a couple of breathtaking performances on the field.

"I think we need to give some credit to our fielding coach Dilip T as well (for India's superb catching). The way he's been working with the boys in practice sessions, making them fun and competitive, the boys have responded really well. Even after their personal skill sessions, they put in extra work for the team, and that is showing on the field," he added.

Surya commented on all-rounder Shivam Dube's promotion to number four, stating that the team's batting order is only decided up to number three, with Dube brought in to counter veteran leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

"In this team, everything is settled till number three (on the left-right batting and the promotion of Shivam Dube), so we didn't want to change anything. But when we saw Rashid bowling from one end, Dube was a perfect match-up. Even if I had scored a 50 or 100 in the last game, if the team needed that change today, it was the right call," said Suryakumar.

India captain Suryakumar also talked about the high pressure and nervousness during this high-scoring, thrilling encounter.

"Very nervous! If someone had checked my heart rate, it would have easily been 160-175. But that's part of the game (if he was nervous during the chase). It was a wonderful semi-final, and now we're very happy to go into the final. (On the crowd) The moment we came in for warm-ups, the stadium was already 75-80 per cent full. That shows how badly they wanted India to do well today. Even though we batted first, they were really happy with the way we played. Hopefully, we gave them a great show going into the final. (Thoughts on the final) There will definitely be pressure and nerves, especially playing in India and going for the title. But the boys and the whole support staff are excited as well," he signed off.

(ANI inputs)