England have discovered a potent late-order finisher at this T20 World Cup in Will Jacks. The No.7 has been their standout performer — four player-of-the-match awards and 191 runs in seven innings at a strike-rate of 176.85 — and several cameos have kept England alive when early wickets fell. His unbeaten 39 off 20 against Nepal and 53 not out from 22 versus Italy were particularly vital; without those knocks England might not have progressed.
Jacks has also chipped in all-round contributions: 21 with the bat and three wickets in the win over Sri Lanka, 28 against Pakistan and a rapid 32 not out off 18 balls against New Zealand as England completed the Super 8s unbeaten. As Brendon McCullum’s side head to a high-stakes semi-final with India at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Thursday (first ball 1.30pm UK, live on Sky Sports Cricket), another Jacks cameo from the tail could again prove decisive if Jos Buttler and Phil Salt fail at the top.
Once used mainly as an opener, the Surrey all-rounder has embraced a finisher’s role with impressive effect. Former India keeper Dinesh Karthik, who worked with Jacks at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, told the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast he was surprised by the smooth transition. Karthik highlighted Jacks’ knack for rotating the strike early then switching to aggressive hitting at the death, and praised his off-side strength that helps him counter wide yorkers or slower-balls by clearing the covers or opening up the leg-side when fields close.
If finishing is England’s strength, their starts have been a clear vulnerability. The much-hyped opening pair of Salt and Buttler have only managed a highest stand of 38 so far. They were dismissed without adding a run against Pakistan and combined for only two in the New Zealand game. Salt has at least posted a fifty — 62 versus Sri Lanka — but Buttler’s form has been a major concern. His tournament best is 26 and he has failed to reach double figures in each of his last five innings, averaging just 8.86, which has prompted questions about his place and confidence.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain said he would not be surprised if Buttler produced a big performance on a stage like this. Hussain pointed to Buttler’s mindset — an “if in doubt, go for it” approach reportedly even written on his bat — and argued the 35-year-old often elevates his game for major matches. Karthik added that Buttler sometimes internalises poor form and needs to lean on the attacking instincts that make him such a threat at the top.
Buttler’s history against India includes a match-winning 80 not out in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final in Adelaide, though Jasprit Bumrah was injured for that game. Bumrah did play in India’s 68-run win over England in the 2024 semi-final in the Caribbean, taking 2-12 and dismissing Phil Salt in that match.
How India deploy Jasprit Bumrah in Mumbai is a key talking point. With England captain Harry Brook — fresh from a 50-ball century against Pakistan — a major middle-order danger, opinion is divided. Karthik suggested India might hold Bumrah back to specifically counter Brook, using Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy as targeted match-ups while Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya try to unsettle Buttler and Salt early. Hussain, by contrast, argued India should use Bumrah up front to put immediate pressure on England’s openers and keep the run-rate down, noting Chakravarthy’s success against Brook on England’s India tour last year.
England and India meet in the second T20 World Cup semi-final at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 1pm (first ball 1.30pm) on Thursday.
2026 Men’s T20 World Cup knockouts (UK times; all games live on Sky Sports)
– Semi-finals
– Wednesday March 4: New Zealand beat South Africa by nine wickets (Kolkata)
– Thursday March 5: England vs India (Mumbai, 1.30pm)
– Final
– Sunday March 8: New Zealand vs TBC (Ahmedabad, 1.30pm)