India will face England in the second semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium. (AP)
NEW DELHI: The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 broke viewership records in India as over 500 million fans tuned in – the highest ever for any T20 World Cup in history. ICC Chairman Jay Shah celebrated the milestone, calling it a proud moment for the global game.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!
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In a post on X, Shah revealed that the tournament was conceived with the ambition of making it the “most global” and “accessible” cricket event ever. That vision, he said, is already bearing fruit.
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“The journey of the @ICC #T20WorldCup 2026 began with the ambition to make it the #global and #accessible cricket event of all time. I am delighted that the viewership for this event in India has crossed 500 million, the highest ever for any T20 World Cup in history. It was also heartening to see the concurrent viewership of top hit K0.JioHo with a million K0.JioHo matches. The tournament starts tonight, we hope that the immense love our events are getting from Indian fans will help break more records,” Shah wrote.The digital numbers were equally impressive, with concurrent viewership on JioHotstar peaking at 60.5 million – underscoring the tournament’s massive online engagement.The World Cup now moves into the high-voltage knockout stage. The first semi-final will be held at the Eden Gardens, where Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand will face Aiden Markram’s unbeaten South Africa. The Proteas, the only side yet to lose a match, will look to extend their dominant run and book a second berth in the T20 World Cup final.India will face England in the second semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. India enter the clash after a commanding win over West Indies in the must-win Super 8 tournament, while Harry Brook’s England arrive on a five-match winning streak.
