Virat Kohli became the first batsman to reach 4,000 runs in the shortest format as he racked up a classy half-century in India's T20 World Cup semi-final against England.

The India star and former captain produced yet another important innings for his country as the tournament's leading run-scorer added 50 to his tally at the Adelaide Oval.

That took him to 296 at this World Cup and 4,008 in all T20Is, well ahead of nearest rival and India team-mate Rohit Sharma (3,853).

Kohli ran two to get his fourth 50 in this tournament but was then caught brilliantly by Adil Rashid next ball, with India posting 168-6 as Hardik Pandya plundered 63 off 33 deliveries.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola heaped praise on England World Cup hopeful Jack Grealish after a "magnificent" display in Wednesday's 2-0 EFL Cup win over Chelsea.

Grealish is expected to be named in Gareth Southgate's 26-man World Cup squad on Thursday and offered a timely reminder of his quality against the Blues.

The 28-year-old midfielder forced Edouard Mendy into a couple of saves early in the second half and was full of confidence and energy in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden.

"Jack was magnificent," Guardiola told reporters. "He played really well. I want Jack to have responsibility when we play with Kevin or Phil.

"When he gets the ball and attacks the backline, his intention is always to pass the ball.

"All the time we tell him to go to score a goal. He has the body language to pass the ball, but tonight his body language was 'I am going to score a goal'. He didn’t score, but one day he will do it. Jack is playing really good."

The game marked Grealish's 13th start for the season, having only managed one goal in 16 appearances.

City teammate Kalvin Phillips, who returned from a shoulder injury as a 50th minute substitute, hailed Grealish.

"Jack has trained hard every single day," Phillips said. "He's not had the luck with scoring and assists, but I think he brings a lot more to the team than just that.

"When you see him play and he plays like that, it's a joy to watch."

India can be proud of their T20 World Cup run, regardless of the result against England in Thursday's semi-final, so says captain Rohit Sharma.

The two teams will battle it out on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval for the opportunity to take on Pakistan in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

India finished top of Group 2, and have key players in form heading into the clash with England, who claimed second place in Group 1 at Australia's expense.

In his first major tournament in charge, Rohit believes India must be satisfied with their progress, as they target a third appearance in a T20 World Cup final.

He said in a press conference: "For us as players, as a team, I think we can pride ourselves to be here at this point in time because we saw two of the quality teams which were knocked out, and anything can happen in this format.

"For us, I think to be here at this point in time, I think we can take a lot of credit and pride ourselves in where we have come."

Two of the key batters for India in this tournament have been Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. 

Former captain Kohli is 42 runs away from becoming the first batter to register 4,000 runs in men's T20I cricket and is the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 246 runs.

Meanwhile, Yadav impressed against Zimbabwe with his fearlessness and creative shot selection in a brilliant 61 not out off just 25 deliveries.

"He's the sort of guy who just doesn't carry any baggage with him," Rohit said of Yadav.

"You can see that when he plays. It's not like he's played a couple of tournaments like that. He's been playing like that for a year now, and it shows, and you can judge the kind of character he is, and he likes to play like that.

"He's shown great maturity, as well, has taken pressure from a lot of the guys the way he plays, and it rubs off on the other side, as well, when they bat around him."

Overcoming Yadav and Kohli will be crucial if England are to progress, but dismissing the pair could prove even more difficult should Mark Wood, who is an injury concern, be unable to play.

Chris Jordan could fill in, while Sam Curran has stepped up, having taken 10 wickets in the tournament and with one more the 24-year-old would become the most successful English bowler in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.

Captain Jos Buttler knows that in Yadav, England face one of the world's most dangerous players.

"I think he's someone who has probably been the batter of the tournament so far in terms of the way you want to watch someone go about it," he said.

"I think his biggest strength looks to be the amount of freedom he plays with. He's obviously got all the shots, but he allows himself to play all the shots, as well. He's got a very free mindset from what I can see.

"But as with any batsman in the world, it takes one chance to create a wicket. We desperately need to find a way to do that, and it would be remiss just to think about him. I think they have some other excellent players, as well."

England will be looking to overturn their poor form against India in recent fixtures, with just one win in their last five T20I meetings.

Reece James has confirmed his hopes of competing for England at the World Cup are over.

The Chelsea defender suffered a knee injury in October and always looked unlikely to recover in time to make the cut for Qatar, with Gareth Southgate set to name his Three Lions squad on Thursday.

James refused to give up hope, insisting he would do everything in his power to feature, but on Wednesday the 22-year-old conceded he will not return to fitness in time.

"Devastated," James posted on social media.

"The minute I injured my knee, I knew the turnaround to make the World Cup would be tight, but I always felt it was possible. 

"I've worked harder than I ever thought I could to give myself the best chance of going and truly believed I could help the team.

"I appreciate there was risk on both sides but it was one I was willing to take.

"Good luck to the boys. I'll be back soon. Stay safe and sending love."

James has been joined on the absentee list by his Chelsea club-mate and fellow full-back Ben Chilwell, who has suffered a serious hamstring injury.

Kyle Walker is also a doubt due to an abdominal problem.

England are not the only team to be hit by injuries to potentially crucial players just before the tournament.

France, whose squad will be confirmed on Wednesday, are without Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante, while Timo Werner will be absent for Germany.

Sadio Mane, meanwhile, is reportedly a major doubt after sustaining a fibula injury while playing for Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Jose Mourinho has taken aim at misfiring Roma striker Tammy Abraham, suggesting the England international may be distracted by the World Cup.

Abraham enjoyed a prolific debut season with the Giallorossi, scoring 27 goals in 53 appearances during the 2021-22 campaign, but he has only netted three times in 18 games this term.

The Roma head coach appeared to question the focus of the former Chelsea forward, whose last Serie A goal came in the 2-1 win over Empoli on September 12.

"You should ask him what’s the problem," said Mourinho during his press conference ahead of Wednesday's clash with Sassuolo. "If he is distracted, if he has a problem or if he thinks about the World Cup."

However, Mourinho defended Roger Ibanez, who was subjected to criticism after his error culminated in Felipe Anderson's winning goal during the derby defeat by Lazio on Sunday.

"Respect is due to somebody who has always given his best since day one," the coach added.

"When we played in Seville [against Real Betis in the Europa League last month], I saw him in the morning and thought it was impossible for him to play, but he made it. To me, he is untouchable."

Roma travel to Sassuolo without Lorenzo Pellegrini, who is the latest player to join their lengthy injury list that already includes Paulo Dybala, Georginio Wijnaldum and Leonardo Spinazzola.

"Pellegrini has been playing too much and is struggling. He is fragile and doesn’t end many games being 100 per cent fit.

"We lost three starters in midfield [in the transfer window], [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan, Sergio Oliveira and [Jordan] Veretout. Wijnaldum hasn't played yet, then we have [Mady] Camara and [Nemanja] Matic.

"Unfortunately, we faced unexpected problems this last season. When Spinazzola got injured at the Euros, we had to take a direction we didn't like.

"I am crying a lot, but I don't like to do so, I like to say that we have had these problems that opened the door to [Cristian] Volpato and [Nicola] Zalewski. [Edoardo] Bove is improving and [Benjamin] Tahirovic will play soon."

Ben Stokes is backing England to improve on their group-stage performances when they face India in a "do or die" T20 World Cup semi-final.

Stokes' unbeaten 42 helped England to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Saturday, ensuring they progressed from Group 1 after bouncing back from their below-par start to the tournament.

Things looked bleak for Jos Buttler's team when they slipped to a shock defeat against Ireland in their second group game, while they were also forced to endure a nervy finish against Sri Lanka after losing five wickets in the space of just seven overs.

However, Stokes expects England to produce a more polished display in Adelaide on Thursday, saying: "We had a few up and down moments in the group stages, but we can forget about those now. 

"We know if we execute anywhere near where we want to be then we will be a very hard team to beat.

"We're in a position now that it's do or die. What I don't think anyone will do is take a backward step. 

"We talk a lot about how we want to play when it comes to the pressure moments, and what we'll see here is us trying to deliver on what we talk about, not taking the cautious option."

Stokes was part of the England team that beat India en route to being crowned ODI world champions in 2019, and he thinks Buttler's side must replicate the approach they adopted in that win.

"It's the way we went out and played that game, rather than looking at the result, just look at the mindset and mentality," Stokes said.

"We didn't take a backward step, so I think we can take a lot of confidence, knowing that if we go in with a similar mindset then hopefully, we'll do alright."

Meanwhile, Stokes says England will trust the advice of security consultant Reg Dickason as they prepare for a red-ball tour of Pakistan next month, with the build-up to that visit being overshadowed by a gun attack on Imran Khan.

"Obviously what happened last week was a bit of a shock to see," Stokes said. "But Reg has been out there. He's the best man to assess the situation.

"Whatever Reg comes back with, the players and the people going out on that tour 100 per cent trust him, because he's a man you trust with your life."

Eddie Jones believes England's loss to Argentina was partly down to being too focused on next year's Rugby World Cup as he accepted full responsibility for the defeat.

England were on the end of a surprise 30-29 reverse at a packed Twickenham on Sunday – only their second ever home defeat to Argentina.

The sides will meet again in their opening match of the 2023 World Cup next September, which Jones already had one eye on heading into last weekend's battle in London.

"When your team doesn't play to the potential you want, there is always something in the message that you're giving the team that's not quite clear," he said.

"We've been looking at a number of long-term strategies to get ourselves set for the World Cup. Maybe our focus wasn't tight enough on the Argentina game. 

"Maybe we were over-thinking a bit, and that's entirely my fault."

England reached the final in 2019 and are among the favourites to lift the trophy next year, alongside New Zealand, Ireland, hosts France and reigning champions South Africa.

The Red Rose endured another disappointing Six Nations campaign earlier this year, but they recovered with a battling 2-1 series win in Australia prior to losing to Argentina.

With less than a year to go before the World Cup begins, Jones is hoping to further develop his squad in time for the tournament.

"There are a cluster of teams at the top of world rugby," he said. "We want to break that cluster. To do that we have to have a number of different ways to play the game.

"This next 11 months is to get enough equipment in our armoury to play any way. 

"England rugby is traditionally about power rugby, winning the set-piece, smashing down the gain-line, but we have to learn from the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

"In the final, we came up against a side that had more power than us, and we were unable to beat them at that game."

England have made three changes to their 36-man squad for Saturday's showdown with Japan at Twickenham, which is followed by Tests against New Zealand and South Africa.

Dawid Malan is a major doubt for England's T20 World Cup semi-final against India on Thursday.

The batter suffered a groin injury while fielding in a victory over Sri Lanka on Saturday that saw England through to the last four.

Malan was unable to bat in that crucial win at the Sydney Cricket Ground and looks likely to miss the showdown with Rohit Sharma's side at the Adelaide Oval.

England all-rounder Moeen Ali told the BBC: "He [Malan] is a big player and has been for a number of years.

"He has been one of our best players. I don't know but it doesn't look great."

Phil Salt could come into the side if the former number one T20I batter in the world is ruled out.

England may also consider bringing in an extra bowler, with Chris Jordan, David Willey and Tymal Mills alternative options.

New Zealand face Pakistan in the first semi-final at the SCG on Wednesday.

England boss Eddie Jones said his team were "not good enough" and captain Owen Farrell raised discipline worries after a surprising 30-29 defeat to Argentina at Twickenham.

In front of an 80,000 full house, the home side were edged out by the Pumas, getting their Autumn Nations Series campaign off to a rocky start.

Head coach Jones said England were left "chasing our tail" after letting a half-time lead slip away.

"We made silly mistakes, but I like the way the team went about it. We didn't finish well, there was that lack of cohesion," Jones said on Amazon Prime Video.

"It's not good enough – we realise it's not good enough. We kept making fundamental mistakes."

As Argentina celebrated a first win against England since 2009 and a first at Twickenham since 2006, the defeated hosts set about working out what went wrong.

They allowed Emiliano Boffelli and Santiago Carreras to cross for second-half tries, with Boffelli finishing with 25 points in all thanks to his strong kicking performance.

Farrell said England must show a response, with matches against Japan, New Zealand and South Africa to come this month.

"We've got a long way to go this autumn and need to make sure we don't drop any confidence because of this," Farrell said.

On a boggy surface, England failed to cope as well as their visitors, and Farrell said: "We kind of let the pressure off a lot of the times. We played the game we thought we needed. It's a wet, wet pitch and both teams didn't really move the ball that well.

"We weren't at our best, definitely not, and that's what were here to do, to get the best out of ourselves.

"We'll have a good look. There were some good bits, and it felt like it was coming. I just think a bit of discipline and errors of not quite being on the same page at times cost us that extra bit of momentum, what it takes to get in front and stay in front."

Boffelli said Michael Cheika's victorious team would enjoy their big moment.

He said: "I'm very happy, we are very happy. Tomorrow we will think about Wales, that follows. We spoke about how we must try to stay close in the score."

Speaking about the influence of Australian coach Cheika, who guided Argentina to wins over Australia and New Zealand in this year's Rugby Championship, Boffelli said: "Everyone knows Michael Cheika as a coach, and it's very important for us.

"He has experience in international rugby and he is confident in us, and that's good. I'm very happy with that, but the team did a good day."

Dominic Calvert-Lewin's slim hopes of making England's World Cup squad may be at an end after he went down injured for Everton on Saturday.

Calvert-Lewin went to Euro 2020 as Harry Kane's back-up, having scored a career-high 16 Premier League goals in the prior season.

But the Everton forward appeared for a mere combined 17 minutes across two substitute appearances at the finals and has scarcely been fit since.

Calvert-Lewin was restricted to 15 league starts last season, scoring five goals, while Saturday's match against Leicester City saw him included in the XI for only the fourth time this term.

A sole goal against Crystal Palace meant Calvert-Lewin always faced an uphill struggle to reclaim his place in the England set-up.

His last international cap came at the Euros, since when Tammy Abraham and Ivan Toney have been included in Three Lions squads, while Callum Wilson – another oft-injured striker – is fit and in form.

Another Calvert-Lewin setback on Saturday may represent the final straw, with the striker going down in the second half at Goodison Park and quickly being replaced by Neal Maupay.

Gareth Southgate is set to name his final 26-man England squad for the World Cup next week, having kept his provisional 55-man group private.

It is reported Wilson – seemingly the favourite to serve as Kane's understudy – was included in that initial selection.

Jos Buttler believes Ben Stokes will "grow and grow" as England aim for T20 World Cup glory in Australia.

Stokes' unbeaten 42 helped guide England to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Saturday at the Sydney Cricket Ground, ensuring they progressed from Group 1 alongside New Zealand, last year's runners up.

It means the reigning champions and hosts Australia failed to reach the last four, with England set to face the winner of Group 2 in Adelaide for a place in the final.

England appeared to be cruising towards victory when, having limited Sri Lanka to 141-8, Buttler and opening partner Alex Hales plundered their way to 75 without loss.

Yet the loss of five wickets for 36 runs in the space of seven overs resulted in a nervy finish for England, and Stokes had to step up late on to set the stage for Chris Woakes to strike the winning boundary with two balls to spare.

"Not a great watch, to be honest – didn't enjoy that much," Buttler said at the post-match presentation.

"We knew, coming here, we had to find a way to win the game, thankfully we did that."

Asked if Stokes was the ideal player for the scenario, Buttler replied: "Absolutely, it's the kind of situation he's made for, I'm delighted for him and when he's at the crease, that gives you a sense of calm.

"He can play a lot of roles, he effects the game in all facets, he's a proper competitor and it's getting to the stage of the competition where you'll just see him grow and grow."

Stokes missed last year's T20 World Cup, and only returned to action in the format in a warm-up series against Australia ahead of this edition of the tournament, with his score on Saturday his best since he managed 46 against India in March 2021.

Another key player for England against Sri Lanka was Adil Rashid, whose figures of 1-16 saw him named the Player of the Match.

When asked if he was worried by the fast start Sri Lanka made with the bat, Buttler said: "Yeah, a little bit, they got off to a really good start and having lost the toss we knew the wicket would probably slow up as we went along.

"I thought it was a fantastic over from Adil Rashid at the back end of the powerplay to change the momentum. He's been someone we've always turned to and I was really pleased with his performance.

"I think a lot of people always look at the end column, maybe he hasn't picked up the wickets he usually does. I don't think he's bowled with much luck, to be honest. He's had a few chances that were missed, I think he's still bowling well, and on surfaces like this he's a really tough bowler to face."

Rashid took the wicket of opener Pathum Nissanka, whose 67 had anchored Sri Lanka's innings. 

Pathum has now accumulated over 1,000 T20I runs, becoming the 10th player from his nation to reach the milestone.

Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes held their nerve to guide England to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka and into the T20 World Cup semi-finals.

Boasting a better net run-rate than hosts Australia in Group 1, England knew victory would be enough at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday to see them progress alongside New Zealand at the expense of the reigning champions.

Matters looked bleak for Jos Buttler's team, however, when a sloppy opening seven overs bowlers allowed Sri Lanka to advance for 65-1, yet spearheaded by Mark Wood's 3-26 and Adil Rashid's 1-16 – his wicket being the dismissal of the excellent Pathum Nissanka (67) – England took seven wickets for just 76 runs for the remainder of the innings, limiting their opponents to 141-8.

England looked to be strolling to victory at 75-0 from the opening 43 deliveries, with Alex Hales and Buttler excelling in the power play before the latter succumbed to Wanindu Hasaranga.

Hales, whose 47 included eight boundaries, was caught and bowled by Hasaranga two overs later, with Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali falling in quick succession as England wobbled.

Sam Curran picked out Kasun Rajitha at fine leg to pile the pressure on, yet Stokes (42) – so many times a hero – provided the composure, chipping away to leave England needing five runs from the final over.

It was Woakes who provided the final flourish, whipping a cut away to the boundary to ensure victory with two balls to spare.

England's redemption shot

Under Eoin Morgan, England reached the semi-finals of last year's T20 World Cup, only to fall short against New Zealand, who themselves were beaten by Australia in the final.

England – who have now won each of their last eight men's T20Is against Sri Lanka – will now face the winner of Group 2 for a place in the showpiece match this time around.

Pathum reaches Sri Lanka milestone

His knock might ultimately have proved fruitless, but it saw Pathum become the 10th Sri Lanka batter to accumulate 1,000 T20I runs, while he is the second-fastest to achieve the feat in terms of innings (after Kusal Perera).

Hasaranga also had a fine match with the ball, finishing with 2-23. It means he ends the tournament with 15 wickets, one short of his tally from the 2021 edition (16), which is the highest on record in the competition's history.

Xavi believes Lionel Messi could finally get his hands on the World Cup in Qatar, tipping Argentina alongside Brazil as favourites to land the trophy.

The closest Messi has come to being a World Cup winner was when Argentina were beaten by Germany in the 2014 final.

His unprecedented seven Ballon d'Or successes underline Messi's individual greatness, but he is missing the most valued team prize of all.

Winning the Copa America with Argentina last year gave him a first major title in senior international football, with Argentina getting the better of Brazil at the Maracana in the final.

Now, at the age of 35, and in his final World Cup, Argentina captain Messi goes again, with former Barcelona team-mate Xavi strongly rating the Albiceleste's chances.

"Argentina and Brazil are a step ahead of everyone else," Xavi said on Friday.

"I see them very strong as a team, also with individual players, physical and in terms of tactics and strategy as well, they're two great teams.

"I think they're a step ahead of some of the best European teams right now. But in a World Cup you can never know. Everything can become complicated."

Xavi, a World Cup winner in 2010 with Spain and now head coach at Barcelona, added: "The European teams are very important: Spain, France, even England, have got very strong national sides, but I think Brazil and Argentina are a step stronger."

Brazil are five-time World Cup winners but have not triumphed since Ronaldo's eight goals drove them to 2002 glory, while Argentina have carried off the trophy twice, in 1978 and 1986.

Messi, surprisingly, has never scored in the knockout rounds and is four goals behind Gabriel Batistuta, Argentina's World Cup record scorer (10 goals).

European teams have dominated the World Cup in recent times, with Italy, Spain, Germany and France winning the last four editions.

Jamie Carragher has accused FIFA of putting players in a "disgusting" position by planting the Qatar World Cup slap bang in the middle of the club season.

For most players involved, the tournament will be taking place while their domestic leagues are put on hold, after it was decided Qatar would not be able to host in the usual June-July time slot, due to its climate.

It means the leading lights of the game are playing important club games just days before the opening matches of the World Cup, knowing an injury, even at a minor level, could scupper hopes of being involved.

Former Liverpool and England defender Carragher said a World Cup in November and December is "absurd" and "has succeeded in compromising every major football competition this season, including their own showpiece event".

He said there would "almost be a perverse sense of justice" if stars of the game suffer minor injury blows in the coming weeks that rule them out of the World Cup, due to the tournament's "indecent timing".

But Carragher suspects those that pushed for Qatar to host would not feel responsible, saying: "To them, elite footballers are like cattle. They get well paid and should get on with it, regardless of the psychological and physical consequences."

Carragher pointed to the example of Raphael Varane coming off in tears for Manchester United against Chelsea last month, putting his France prospects in doubt.

He wrote in the Telegraph: "It is disgusting that players are being put in such a position, and they are at their most vulnerable right now as they are expected to go full throttle in the final weeks before joining their national team.

"In normal circumstances, the squads would already be at the pre-tournament training camp, the fine-tuning under way before the opening ceremony."

Carragher added: "The decisions at the top have materially enhanced the risk of injuries. That was inevitable when the World Cup was arranged in mid-season. Everyone with even the slightest understanding of the demands upon a top-level footballer knew that."

The 44-year-old Carragher spent a decade in and around the England squad, at a time when John Terry and Rio Ferdinand were usually ahead of him in the pecking order.

He still won 38 caps and went to the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, and believes the upcoming tournament taking place in Qatar casts shame on the game.

Carragher argues football's authorities made a major error by voting to give the World Cup to a country with a widely criticised human rights record. Critics have pointed to Qatar's treatment of LGBTQ+ people, and the death of many migrant workers on construction sites ahead of the tournament.

"Qatar must be the tipping point," Carragher added. "This can never happen again and there are already signs of professional players mobilising to ensure it never will. FIFA and other national bodies must be forced to act as well as listen.

"The 2022 World Cup symbolises FIFA's ultimate power. They pushed ahead, ripping up the football calendar knowing nothing could stop them."

Australia's narrow win over Afghanistan on Friday sent New Zealand through to the T20 World Cup semi-finals and set England a straightforward target to join them.

England need only a victory against Sri Lanka in Saturday's final Group 1 match to be sure of a place in the last four.

Hosts and defending champions Australia had been facing an uphill battle to improve their run rate ever since an 89-run thrashing at the hands of the Black Caps in their opener.

With their meeting with England rained off, the margin of victory in other matches was going to prove pivotal.

Although Australia survived a scare in beating Afghanistan by four runs, that tight affair left their net run rate at -0.173, below England's mark of +0.547, which will improve further with victory over Sri Lanka.

The home nation therefore need Sri Lanka to defeat England and keep them in the top two on seven points.

Stand-in Australia captain Matthew Wade said: "We'll stay the extra night here and watch that game. We'll be hoping for a little bit of an upset there, obviously.

"That's tournament play – we put ourselves in this situation straight from the get-go this time. Although we've been trying to chase a little bit of run rate, it just hasn't really gone our way.

"We've been a little bit slow getting out of the blocks in this tournament. Hopefully it doesn't cost us."

Glenn Maxwell struck a similar tone, saying: "We'll certainly be following it. We've obviously put ourselves in this situation, but hopefully Sri Lanka can do the job for us."

Although Maxwell scored an unbeaten 54 off 32 against Afghanistan, he added: "It was quite hard to press the issue.

"We probably got to about the 12-over mark, where we just had to put a total on the board to make sure we gave ourselves a chance of winning the game.

"Even though we were trying to go hard at the back end, they bowled extremely well."

If Sri Lanka can do Australia a huge favour, Wade is "very hopeful" skipper Aaron Finch and all-rounder Tim David will return for the semi-finals.

David was "really, really close" but failed a late fitness test on Friday, Wade added.