‘I made a big mistake dropping Sanju Samson’: Harry Brook reveals key reason behind England’s semi-final heartbreak

NEW DELHI: England captain Harry Brook shouldered the blame for his side’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final exit, pinpointing a pivotal dropped catch of India’s Sanju Samson as the moment that swung the contest India’s way at a packed Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday night.

Brook shelled a straightforward chance at 15 when Samson top-edged a Jofra Archer bumper, and the wicket-keeper batter responded with a savage 89 off 42 balls that propelled India to an imposing 253 for 7. “I’ll hold my hands up and admit I made a big mistake dropping Samson,” Brook said during the post-match presentation. “We weren’t good enough in the field. We misexecuted, and you can’t afford to do that against India.”

The England skipper conceded the miscalculation began even earlier, expecting the fresh surface to aid spin and instead watching the ball race onto the bat. “We thought there might have been hold, spin in the first innings, but it slid on nicely and India batted well,” he acknowledged.

Samson’s assault never left Brook’s thoughts as the chase unfolded. “Yeah, catches win matches, don’t they? It didn’t stay in my hands and he played a very, very good innings—arguably won them the game,” Brook reflected. “I kept looking at the scoreboard and he was piling the runs on. I thought, ‘I’m going to have to get an 80 or 90 tonight.’ Not ideal, but it’s happened now.”

England’s response crackled briefly through 21-year-old Jacob Bethell, whose audacious 105 off 48 deliveries and a counter-attacking stand with Will Jacks (35) dragged the defending champions within touching distance. “Bethell was absolutely unbelievable; he’ll earn some serious money,” Brook said. “To see him taking it from ball one showed the world what he can do.”

Archer’s late cameo narrowed the gap further, yet England stalled at 246 for 7, seven runs adrift of a final berth. Brook, nevertheless, urged his squad to absorb the hurt and recognise a broader body of work. “We had a good tournament; we should be extremely proud of how we played. We stuck to it the whole game; unfortunately, we were on the wrong side.”