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Team India will take on England in a blockbuster semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2026 at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
While the Men in Blue will start as favourites because of home conditions, the Harry Brook-led England cannot be counted out. India are coming off an incredible five-wicket win over West Indies in the Super 8 stage, a victory that took them to the semifinals.
It has not been a perfect run for either side in this T20 World Cup 2026. While India went unbeaten in the group stage, winning all four matches, they suffered a blip in their campaign following a 76-run loss to South Africa in their Super 8 opener.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led side, however, bounced back with a 72-run win over Zimbabwe in their second match. And South Africa's win over West Indies meant that all India had to do was beat West Indies in what was a virtual quarterfinal.
England were made to sweat in their first group stage match against Nepal, before going down to the West Indies in their next match. Fast forward to the Super 8 stage, England were made to work hard against Sri Lanka (won by 51 runs) and Pakistan (won by two wickets), before clinching a four-wicket win over New Zealand.
Ahead of the much-awaited match, we take a quick look at the Wankhede Stadium pitch, dew factor, par score and more:
Wankhede Stadium pitch report for India vs England
- Surface + grass: Hard surface with a light grass tinge; good bounce and pace, outfield typically quick.
- New ball (3–4 overs): Seamers get carry and a hint of movement early; hard lengths work best before the ball softens.
- Middle overs: Mostly skid-on for batting; spinners need pace variations/flat trajectory—grip is limited unless the pitch is dry.
- Dew + toss call: Dew likely under lights, reducing grip and making defending tougher—bowl first if you win the toss.
- Par score range: 180–200 batting first; 200+ is strong if dew is heavy and the outfield stays rapid.
Pitch nature
Grass amount + why it is kept: A report in The Hindu said there was a tinge of grass on the Wankhede Stadium pitch before it was covered on Tuesday, two days before the match. The stadium is known for its red-soil pitch, and without grass, the red-soil pitch could become dry, with significant cracks and dust.
Expected bounce: The combination of red soil and grass at the Wankhede surface could produce something called "true bounce". In this, the ball will neither stop nor hold the surface, and instead, it is likely to bounce at a good height through to the wicketkeeper.
Batters like Suryakumar Yadav and Phil Salt could make use of these, since they are aware that the ball won't stay low or rise up unexpectedly. The early carry could benefit the bowlers as well. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer could find the outside edge, and once they do, there is a high chance that it goes to the slips rather than falling short.
How it changes after 10 overs: Post the initial 10 overs of the match, the pitch begins to "settle down". The tinge of grass that was present at the start of the game slowly starts to fade away. For the bowlers, the extra "zip" will disappear, and the bounce will become more predictable. The seamers will have to switch from aggressive pace to wide Yorkers, slower balls, and off-cutters.
As the match progresses, the batters will also have to work hard on their timing. One mistimed shot and the batters could be in trouble.
Dew and toss call
The dew in Mumbai usually starts to settle down around 8.30 pm to 9 pm. This is usually the time when the first innings approaches the halfway mark, or even the first innings could have been completed. As the grass becomes slick, fielders will find it difficult to stop the ball at the boundary and keep it dry. The bowlers will also have a hard time gripping the ball, which could result in them bowling forced full tosses.
India bowling coach Morne Morkel said that the impact of dew could be a big concern. "I think dew is always a big concern. But that's again something you can't control: the toss. I think at Wankhede there's always that extra bit of bounce,” he said.
“Guys can trust the bounce and lead through the line that can also, as a bowler, bring you into the game. I just felt or feel that the margins here are a lot smaller. The ball travels; it's quite a small ground," added the former South Africa cricketer.
Weather during match hours
| 6 pm | 34 degrees Celsius | 31% | 0% |
| 7 pm | 32 degrees Celsius | 35% | 0% |
| 8 pm | 31 degrees Celsius | 37% | 0% |
| 9 pm | 29 degree Celsius | 40% | 0% |
| 10 pm | 29 degree Celsius | 43% | 0% |
| 11 pm | 28 degree Celsius | 48% | 0% |
| 12 am | 26 degree Celsius | 54% | 0% |
According to AccuWeather.com, there is absolutely no chance of rain in Mumbai on Thursday.
It is expected to be "very hot with hazy sun". The temperatures during the day is expected to hover around 36°C to 38°C, and will dip to 29°C in the night.
Unlike Delhi and Nagpur though, a sea breeze in Wankhede could delay the dew as the air keeps moving. As mentioned earlier, the dew will then quickly settle down around 8.30 pm, 90 minutes into the contest.
What is a good score today?
The Wankhede Stadium is a batters' paradise, because of which, any total more than 200 can be considered a good score. Should the team batting first get to 200 or more, this will then force the casing team to score at a rate of 10+ runs per over, and this could lead to wickets even on flat pitches.
It was only a few days ago when the West Indies amassed 254/6 against Zimbabwe, which remains the highest total recorded at Wankhede. The highest total chased at this venue was by England, when they chased down 230 against South Africa during the 2016 T20 World Cup.
Who benefits?
Batters like Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson could benefit from the Wankhede Stadium pitch. Suryakumar Yadavis, in fact, is familiar with the stadium since he plays for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL. These two, along with Abhishek Sharma, could make use of the predictable heights at which the balls could be bowled and go on to hit boundaries at the small Wankhede Stadium ground.
FAQs
Is Wankhede batting or bowling pitch today?
Batters could take advantage of the powerplay phase in the first innings, but if pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer manage to strike early, then we could witness a balanced match between bat and ball. History suggests that teams chasing have won more matches at Wankhede.
Will there be dew in the IND vs ENG semi-final?
Yes. There will be dew during the India vs England T20 World Cup semi-final. The dew is expected to settle down by 8.30 pm -9 pm.
What is a par score at Wankhede tonight?
The par score at Wankhede Stadium for Thursday's game will be around 195-200, or more than that. In the four night games played at the venue in this T20 World Cup, the average score is 195. This is the kind of total the team batting first will be eyeing.
Should teams bat or bowl first?
Teams should field first if they win the toss, as history suggests. In T20s at Wankhede, teams fielding first have won 123 matches, whereas teams batting first have won 92 matches.
Will spin work at Wankhede in the second innings?
Spinners like Varun Chakravarthy and Adil Rashid could find it difficult to grip the ball. If there is a wet seam, then their turning deliveries could switch to becoming predictable, flat deliveries.
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