England are set to face India in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday (June 27).
Ahead of the knockout fixture, England skipper Jos Buttler has issued a subtle warning for the Indian team, saying that the Men in Blue will come up with a full aggressive approach and they will look to do the same.
The Rohit Sharma-led India will not only look to maintain their unbeaten streak in the tournament but will also be determined to avenge the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final loss against England.
On the other hand, the defending champions have had a roller-coaster ride in the competition so far. The Three Lions won two out of their four games in the group stage and followed it with a couple more victories from three matches in the Super 8 round.
"I think you plan everything to go well and, of course, there will be time in the game when you are playing such a good team like India. You will be under pressure, and you will be forced to be reactive and try and throw the punches back. This time we are playing against a very different India side and the way Rohit leads his team and how he bats especially," Buttler said in a video posted by the England Cricket Board on their website.
"They play with a hell of lot of freedom so they will be very aggressive, which probably was a shift for them after the tournament, and they played like that in the 50-over World Cup as well. I think they are very confident in that stye of play and, yes, we need to be ready for that. Like every other game, we sort of have to assess the conditions and how the wicket will play or what will be the good score. But we know that they will be aggressive, and we will do the same," he added.
Buttler also reminisced the memories of England's 10-wicket victory over India in the semi-final of the last T20 World Cup at the Adelaide Oval.
"Great memories and a very special day. One of the great games in the England shirt and the standout moments were getting Surya out as he was having an unbelievable tournament, so that was up there. And the chase as well, getting off to a good start in those kinds of chases in the semi-final and to get that sort of start was vital and the start in the first over which settled me down," he remarked.
The winner of the India versus England semi-final will face South Africa in the title clash in Barbados on Saturday (June 29).
