Unity key to England's World Cup run - Brook

Mumbai, England’s dressing room has been stripped of perfectionism and rebuilt on togetherness, and captain Harry Brook believes that shift has carried the team from a shaky group stage to Thursday’s T20 World Cup semi-final against favourites India at a sold-out Wankhede Stadium.

Since a opening defeat to the West Indies, England have peeled off five straight victories, three of them in the Super 8s where every match flirted with elimination. Against New Zealand on Friday they needed 43 from 18 balls; Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed smashed an unbeaten 44 from 16 to sneak home. Earlier they defended 146-9 to bowl Sri Lanka out for 95 and were 58-4 versus Pakistan before Brook’s own century hauled them clear.

“We are never quite out of the game,” Brook said. “The unity, the belief in each other when we hit those pressure situations, and the calmness have been outstanding. We don’t need a perfect performance to win the competition—just enough fight.”

The turnaround follows a winless Ashes tour and a group stage that saw England labour past Nepal, Scotland and Italy. Brook, captaining at a global event for the first time, credits a dressing-room culture where competitiveness spills from golf course and card table onto the field. Jacks already owns four player-of-the-match awards in the tournament; recalled 36-year-old spinner Liam Dawson and middle-order batter Tom Banton have also delivered decisive contributions.

Selection intrigue centres on seam-bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton, who appears poised to replace leg-spinner Ahmed on a surface that could favour pace. India, pre-tournament favourites, were rattled by the United States in the group phase and thumped by South Africa in the Super 8s, piling pressure on the hosts in front of 33,000 expectant fans.

“There’s probably more pressure on them with the crowd and that South Africa loss,” Brook said. “We’ll assess conditions quickly and give it a real good fight.”

England won the 2022 semi-final between the sides by ten wickets; India reversed the result in the 2024 last-four meeting. Under Brook’s leadership England have won 16 of 18 completed T20s since the start of last year, form that has turned a turbulent 12 months into a shot at a second global title.

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