New Zealand has again demonstrated their superiority over Pakistan, taking the ODI series 2-0* after thrashing them 4-1 in the T20I series. What's more impressive? They did it without 11 of their most important players!

No Big Names? No Problem!

New Zealand was missing some of their biggest stars:

• No Kane Williamson
• No Mitchell Santner
• No Rachin Ravindra
• No Devon Conway
• No Lockie Ferguson
• No Glenn Phillips
• No Matt Henry
• No Kyle Jamieson
• No Tom Latham
• No Will Young
• No Ish Sodhi

Despite this, the Black Caps dominated Pakistan across formats, demonstrating the depth and power of their cricketing system.

Pakistan Left Pondering Answers

Pakistan entered the series with a close to full-strength team but couldn't keep up with New Zealand's intensity and execution. The T20I series was concluded in a 4-1 thrashing, and now the ODIs have been concluded in New Zealand's favor as well.

This overawing performance is indicative of New Zealand's phenomenal team culture and depth of talent pool. Even with their superstars missing, they still manage to win.

Pakistan, however, will have to look back on these crushing losses and work on how to regain their momentum.

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T20I Series: A 4-1 Thrashing

Pakistan, with their near-strength team, had great expectations of victorious wins in the T20I series. New Zealand's second-string team crushed them 4-1, revealing glaring gaps in Pakistan's game.

ODI Series: Kiwis Seal the Trophy 2-0

The ODIs were also on the same page. New Zealand was merciless, dominating Pakistan with intelligent strategies and clinical performances. Even without their lead stars, they appeared much stronger than Pakistan, who fought with both bat and ball.

What This Means for New Zealand

This series victory is an exhibition of the solidity and robustness of New Zealand's cricket structure. Despite lacking their established players, they have managed to secure victories comfortably. Their capacity to develop young cricketers and sustain a stable team culture is one of the largest explanations of their ongoing performance in international cricket.

What This Means for Pakistan

This is a wake-up call for Pakistani cricket. Beating a decimated New Zealand team in both T20Is and ODIs is a serious cause for concern. With their full-strength team, they should have done better, but instead, they seemed clueless. Their batting was inconsistent, and their bowling was ineffective.

New Zealand has again humiliated Pakistan on their home soil, even though they were missing 11 of their main players. This overawing performance says a lot about their cricket set-up, whereas Pakistan has to return to the drawing board and sort out problems before their next major challenge.

Pakistan will tour New Zealand for a T20I series, and the selection committee is likely to bring some new faces along with seasoned players. The team has a combination of all-rounders, pace bowlers, and hard-hitting batters.
The team has players such as Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, and Sufiyan Muqeem, along with new faces like Irfan Khan and Jahandad Khan. Following is the likely squad:

Likely Squad

🚨Pakistan's likely T20I squad for New Zealand tour.

- Shadab, Haris, Sufiyan, Arafat, Irfan Khan, Zaman Khan, Wasim Jr, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Agha Salman, Abrar, Omair Bin Yousuf, Khushdil, Hassan Nawaz, Ali Raza, Abdul Samad, Akif Javed and Khawaja Nafay. pic.twitter.com/gKNp0Uci1s

— Salman 🇵🇰 (@SalmanAsif2007) March 2, 2025

ALSO SEE: Shreyas Iyer vs Babar Azam in ICC Events:

This team represents Pakistan's plan to strike a balance between inexperience and experience. Having youth players included means that the management has the strategy of developing future stars well before big events.
Pakistan will be looking for a good outing against New Zealand, and people cannot wait to witness how this team fares

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to include new-found talents in the March-April T20I series against New Zealand. This is being done after Pakistan's humiliating Champions Trophy exit when they became the first team to be knocked out despite being the host country. Based on reports, emerging talents from national cricket have been summoned to Lahore to attend a meeting with board officials during the selection process. The effort goes with Pakistan's vision for the 2026 T20 World Cup, to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

🚨Mohammad Rizwan has been removed from T20I captaincy after today's meeting with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. [Ejaz Wasim Bukhari]

- Shadab Khan is likely to lead the Pakistan T20I squad for New Zealand tour. pic.twitter.com/yKrZsTU7y5

— Salman 🇵🇰 (@SalmanAsif2007) March 1, 2025

ALSO SEE: PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to Lead Asian Cricket Council Post Champions Trophy 2025

Meanwhile, ex-wicketkeeper-batsman Rashid Latif came up with a list of youth players to be considered for the next series. His suggestions are Hassan Nawaz, Ali Raza, Abdul Samad, Akif Javed, and Muhammad Nafay. Besides, he thinks all-rounder Shadab Khan is the best choice to be the captain of the T20I team.
The wicketkeeper batter further shared some more names for the likely squad which are Muhammad Haris, Sufyan Muqeem, Arafat Minhas, Irfan Khan Niazi, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Agha Salman, Abrar Ahmed, Omair Bin Yousuf and Khushdil Shah.
The Pakistani team will leave for New Zealand on March 12, and the five-match T20I series will start on March 16. Besides the T20Is, Pakistan will also feature in three ODIs, and the tour will last until April 5. Meanwhile, there are reports that some of the senior players are considering a break from international cricket after their dismal performances in the Champions Trophy.
Major players like Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Babar Azam are said to be in the discussion in the selection meetings with some thinking of pulling out from the tour to prevent themselves from being dropped.

India's rising star, Abhishek Sharma, has achieved a career-high ranking in T20Is, making a meteoric leap of 38 places to claim the No. 2 spot in the ICC T20I batting rankings. The explosive southpaw’s sensational performances with the bat have propelled him ahead of some of the biggest names in the format. In a fascinating shift, he overtook his fellow teammate Tilak Varma, who dropped one spot to No. 3, as India’s young guns continue to dominate the rankings. With their fearless and dynamic approach, the duo is shaping the future of Indian T20 cricket on the global stage.

Abhishek Sharma lit up the series with a stunning display of power-hitting, scoring 279 runs in 5 matches at an average of 55.80 and a blistering strike rate of 219.68. His standout moment came with a record-breaking 135, the highest T20I score by an Indian, as he smashed 24 fours and 22 sixes. With 1 century and 1 fifty, Abhishek’s fearless batting tore apart England’s attack, making him the star of the series.

In-depth Analysis of Abhishek Sharma's Outstanding T20I Series

Abhishek Sharma etched his name in the history books with a breathtaking knock, registering India’s highest individual score in T20 internationals. His 135 off 54 balls surpassed Shubman Gill’s previous record of 126 against New Zealand in 2023, setting a new benchmark for Indian batters in the format. His innings was not just a national milestone but also a global spectacle. It became the sixth-highest individual score in T20Is involving Test-playing nations, placing him among an elite list of power-hitters who have dominated international bowling attacks.

Abhishek’s fifty came off just 17 balls, making it the second-fastest half-century by an Indian in T20Is, only behind Yuvraj Singh’s iconic 12-ball fifty against England in the 2007 T20 World Cup. His century followed in just 37 deliveries, making it the third-fastest in T20Is between Test-playing nations, trailing only Rohit Sharma and David Miller, who hold the joint record with 35-ball hundreds. Adding to his sensational display, Abhishek launched 13 sixes into the stands—the most ever hit by an Indian batter in a T20I innings. His fearless strokeplay and record-breaking performance cemented his place as one of India’s most exciting young talents, leaving fans and statisticians in awe of his explosive batting prowess.

Abhishek Sharma’s explosive batting in the series saw him smash 22 sixes in total, showcasing his incredible range and fearless strokeplay. While he cleared the ropes all around the ground, his favorite scoring zone was the covers region, where he deposited the majority of his maximums. Here’s a breakdown of his six-hitting areas: Covers region – Most of his sixes came from this area, highlighting his dominance through the off-side. Long-on – 4 sixes, proving his ability to target spinners and pacers with strong straight hitting. Long-off – 3 sixes, demonstrating balance and timing against both pace and spin.

Straight down the ground – 3 sixes, reinforcing his power in hitting over the bowler’s head. Fine leg – 2 sixes, capitalizing on short deliveries and well-timed flicks. Midwicket – 1 six, showing his adaptability in playing across the line. Third man – 1 six, an unconventional yet effective shot. Point – 1 six, showcasing his ability to carve the ball over the infield. His six-hitting spree not only powered India to key victories but also established him as one of the most dangerous batters in T20 cricket today.

Abhishek Sharma’s six-hitting ability in this series was nothing short of extraordinary, underlining his potential as a future T20 superstar. His ability to find the boundary in all areas of the ground made him a nightmare for bowlers, as he effortlessly combined power with precision. The sheer number of sixes at covers reflects his dominant off-side play, while his shots down the ground and towards fine leg highlight his all-round stroke-making prowess.

His confidence in taking on spinners and pacers alike, along with his ability to execute aggressive strokes without compromising technique, sets him apart from his contemporaries. With this record-breaking performance, Abhishek has not only announced himself on the global stage but has also given India a dependable and fearless hitter at the top. If he continues in this vein, he could redefine aggressive T20 batting for India in the years to come.

Fearless India secured the home T20I series before the last game of the T20I series, as they beat England in the Pune T20I on Friday night and have taken a 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

After England captain Jos Buttler chose to field first at Pune, India scored 181/9 in 20 overs. In reply, England were all out for 166 runs in 19.4 overs, as India won the match by 15 runs.

Saqib Mahmood brought early blows

England got a great start as Saqib Mahmood was playing his first game and took three wickets in his first over as India were down to 12/3. After scoring 12 runs in the first over of Jofra Archer, Sanju Samson (1) and Tilak Varma (0) were dismissed in the first two deliveries of the second over of the innings, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (0) lost his wicket on the last ball of the over as Mahmood finished the over with a maiden and three wickets. 

In the tough moment, opener Abhishek Sharma and middle-order batter Rinku Singh handled the situation strongly. However, both lost their wickets at crucial moments, as Sharma scored 29 and Singh scored 30 runs. 

While India were struggling at 79/5, Shivam Dube made a great comeback in the T20I side and Hardik Pandya set up a strong partnership. They had an 87-run partnership for the sixth wicket, the largest ever T20I partnership for the fifth or lower wickets against England. 

See Also: Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya set a record-breaking T20I partnership against England

Hardik and Dube scored 50s

After a cautious start, Hardik completed his fifty in 27 balls. The right-handed batter scored 53 off 30 balls with the help of four fours and four sixes before Jamie Overton dismissed him. Meanwhile, Dube took 31 balls to complete his half-century. Before he was run out on the final ball of the innings, the left-handed batter scored 53 off 35 balls with the help of seven fours and two sixes. While Dube got a hit on his helmet in the final over of the innings, India used a concussion substitute as Harshit Rana replaced the all-rounder, which has triggered a new controversy. It was Rana's T20I debut, which happened in a dramatic way.

Among the English bowlers, Saqib Mahmood took three wickets (3/35) and Jamie Overton bagged two wickets (2/32).

England were 62/1

In chasing, England got a great start as Phil Salt and Ben Duckett dominated the Indian bowlers. Indian bowlers seemed clueless to restrict Duckett, but on the final ball of the powerplay, Ravi Bishnoi dismissed the left-handed batter for 39 off 19 balls (seven fours and one six), as England scored 62/1. 

Opener Salt (23) and captain Jos Buttler (2) were dismissed quickly as Axar Patel and Bishnoi took the wickets, respectively, and the visitors were battling at 67/3.

Harry Brook's 50 went in vain

England were losing the wickets at regular intervals, while Harry Brook finally found his form despite not getting enough support from the other end. 

Firing Brook (51 off 26 balls; five fours and two sixes) completed his half-century in 25 balls but he threw his wicket on the next ball as Varun Chakravarthy once again won the battle against him.

In the last moment, Jamie Overton battled hard with his big shots. But his questionable no single theory, which was instructed by Adil Rashid, ended England’s last hope. 

Among the Indian bowlers, Ravi Bishnoi (3/28) and concussion-sub Harshit Rana (3/33) bagged three wickets each, and Varun Chakravarthy (2/28) got two wickets. 

While Mumbai will host the last game of the T20I series on Sunday (February 2), India have already secured the T20I series with a lead of 3-1.

Hosts India and the visitors England are once again ready for another exciting T20I match, which Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium (Pune) is set to host Friday (January 31) evening. It is the fourth game of the five-match T20I series, where India are leading it by 2-1. 

India won first two T20Is

Hosts India started the series with a strong seven-wicket win at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. After the Indian bowlers dominated to restrict the visitors to 132 all out in 20 overs, the hosts comfortably chased the target in 12.5 overs after losing three wickets. Opener Abhishek Sharma scored firing 79 off 34 balls to guide the home side to a memorable win.

Chennai hosted the second T20I, where the disciplined Indian bowlers restricted the visitors to 165/9 in 20 overs. Tilak Varma (72 not out off 55 balls) played the most important role and calmly finished the game despite huge pressure as India chased the target in 19.2 overs after losing eight wickets.  

See Also: India vs England 2025 Test Series: Unprecedented Demand as Tickets Sell Out Early

England won Rajkot T20I

Rajkot hosted the third game of the series, where both teams’ bowlers were excellent. After England managed to score 171/9 in 20 overs, they restricted the hosts to 145/9 to secure their first win this tour.

Talking about the squads, Rinku Singh is set to return to the Indian squad, while Jacob Bethell can return to the English squad.

Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium (Pune) is set to host its fifth T20I match, where the first two games ended with successful chasings and the next two experienced comfortable defending results. India have recorded two wins and two losses in this T20I venue, while England lost their only T20I at this venue, which was the T20I debut of this venue and India won by five wickets after successfully chasing the 158-run target. 

India vs England 4th T20I: Probable XIs

India predicted XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Rinku Singh, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi

England predicted XI: Ben Duckett, Phil Salt (wk), Jos Buttler (Captain), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood. 

India vs England 4th T20I: Dream11 Top Captains and Vice-Captains

Top 3 Captain's choices: Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Jos Buttler

Top 3 Vice-Captain's choices: Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Brydon Carse

4th T20I of India vs England Predicted XI & Match details

The 4 T20I between India and England is a must win for both trying to get out of the series. India might opt for the strongest XI in the 4th T20I beginning with Suryakumar Yadav as Rinku Singh has fully fit and returns for the 4th T20I against England, strengthening India's middle order by his explosive finishing. He would add a crucial depth and power to the batting line up in this match.

Match Details:

• Match: IND VS ENG,4th,T20I
• Date: January 31, 7:00 PM (IST)
• Venue:Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
• Live streaming:Star Sports Network, DD Sports & Disney+HotStar

Predicted playing IX:

1. Sanju Samson (WK): Provides stability at the top and adds flexibility in the batting order.
2. Abhishek Sharma: A young left-hander with aggressive stroke play, capable of providing quick starts.
3. Tilak Varma: A dependable middle-order batter with the ability to accelerate when needed.
4. Suryakumar Yadav (C): The skipper and India’s most experienced T20 batter, known for his 360-degree shots.
5. Hardik Pandya: The pace-bowling all-rounder adds power with the bat and provides crucial overs.
6. Rinku Singh: Back to full fitness, he is India’s designated finisher with exceptional hitting ability in the death overs.
7. Washington Sundar: A spin-bowling all-rounder, effective in both batting and bowling departments.
8. Axar Patel: A key player in the lower order, offering control with the ball and handy contributions with the bat.
9. Arshdeep Singh: India’s lead left-arm pacer, effective with both the new and old ball.
10. Mohammed Shami:  pacer brings experience and pace to the bowling attack.
11. Varun Chakravarthy: The mystery spinner can trouble England’s batters with his variations.

India's Probable XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy

Key Updates:

• Rinku Singh is fit and comes back into the playing XI.
• The experience from Mohammed Shami will also bolster the pace attack.
• Varun Chakravarthy's mystery spin will be of huge importance in Ranchi conditions
• Balanced team with both old players and new blood.

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Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin slammed “Bazball” style cricket after England’s batting line-up struggled in the third straight T20I, which was played at Rajkot.

Hosts India and the visitors England are battling in the five-match T20I series, which is also the beginning of the new era of England white-ball cricket under the head coach Brendon McCullum. McCullum has already shown his coaching skills for England's Test side, as the aggressive batting strategy is now known as “Bazball," which has hits and flops. 

In Test cricket, the “Bazball” strategy earned some good memories as the over-aggressive batting style has been called “braveness.”. However, it has also earned many negative criticisms.

IND vs ENG T20I series 2025: England batters failed to impress

In the five-match T20I series, hosts India comfortably won the series opener at Kolkata by seven wickets and thrillingly clinched another two-wicket win in the second game at Chennai. In both those T20Is, English batting failed massively. Poor shot selections were the major reasons for England’s defeat in both those T20Is. 

Rajkot T20I also experienced a similar story. While England were batting at 83/1 at one stage on a comfortable batting pitch, they later found themselves at 127/8. Opener Ben Duckett provided a positive start with his 51 off 28 balls, but the visitors still struggled in the first innings. Liam Livingstone’s late smashing 43 off 24 balls (one four and five sixes) somehow helped England to score 171/9 in 20 overs.

Due to the disciplined bowling from the English bowlers, they restricted the hosts to 145/9 as the visitors finally tasted a win in the away T20I series. However, their unpopular batting strategy still can’t be overlooked. 

See Also: Varun Chakravarthy creates world record after Rajkot T20I success

Ravichandran Ashwin called English batting reckless cricket 

Legendary Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket last December, called the present English batting strategy reckless cricket. He surely doesn’t feel confident with this batting performance from the English side. 

There is a very fine line between playing aggressive brand of cricket and reckless cricket. #INDvENG

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) January 28, 2025

England beat India by 26 runs in the Rajkot T20I to make a comeback in the five-match T20I series, as the visitors are trailing by 2-1 in the series with two more to be played. With this win, the series is now 2-1 in favour of the hosts India with two matches yet to be played.

Leading the series by 2-0, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to field first after winning the toss for the third straight time in this series. While England scored 171/9 in 20 overs, India only managed to score 145/9 in 20 overs. 

See Also: Mohammed Shami returns to international cricket after 14 months

Varun Chakravarthy recorded a fifer, Ben Duckett and Liam Livingstone had important contributions

Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy took five wickets (5/24), as England faced a sudden collapse from 83/1 to 127/8. While the opener Ben Duckett scored 51 off 28 balls, and the in-form skipper Jos Buttler scored 24 runs, Liam Livingstone scored the crucial 43 off 24 balls with one four and five sixes. 

No strong reply from Indian batters against disciplined English bowlers

England bowlers completely dominated in the second innings, while Adil Rashid once again amazed with his mastery (4-0-15-1), including picking up the wicket of in-form Tilak Verman (18). Only Hardik Pandya (40) and Abhishek Sharma (24) scored 20+ runs in that innings, while Jamie Overton (3/24), Brydon Carse (2/28), and Jofra Archer (2/33) claimed more than one wicket.

Here are some Twitter reactions to the Rajkot T20I

Absolute seed🔥🔥.
Scrambled seam and serious side spin.
Top bowling Adil Rashid🤝🤝#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/9omCsdmaxU

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) January 28, 2025

Back to back wickets !! Indian fans right now 😒😒#INDvsENG #INDvENG Varun Harry Brook PHIL Salt Ben Duckett Bishnoi Sanju Samson
Archer Suryakumar Yadav....✌️👍 pic.twitter.com/sBI82dgSjW

— ✿Sᴀᴍʀɪᴅᴅʜɪ (@Samriddhi2025) January 28, 2025

MI fans watching captain Hardik pandya and SKY's batting in every match

#INDvsENG #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/XfC5Jgn7r4

— KohliForever (@KohliForever0) January 28, 2025

Blockbuster Varun continues to deliver! 🍿

How many wickets will he finish the #IndvsENG T20I series with?

10 - 12
12 - 15
15 - 20
#AmiIndia | Varun Chakaravarthy pic.twitter.com/oFO97Nyk3N

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) January 28, 2025

Livingstone cooked with 5 sixes and won the game for his team. 🔥🔥✊pic.twitter.com/2UbEpXr6H9

— Rahul Singh (@rahulsinggghhh) January 28, 2025

SIR LIAM LIVINGSTONE SHOW pic.twitter.com/xUAW1CcO38

— 😎🙇🙇 (@Kohliuniverse1) January 28, 2025

#INDvENG #INDvsENG

When no one is discussing about your contribution, whether it’s a win or loss🥹.

Gambhir saab, time to bring PR team to the rescue🤪 pic.twitter.com/1lSPlU3a9c

— Mastikhor 🤪 (@ventingout247) January 28, 2025

Another day of realising that not everyone is Virat Kohli.#ViratKohli𓃵 pic.twitter.com/Bk89oUmzNT

— one8.xe🇮🇳 (@one8xe) January 28, 2025

Surya kumar yadav #INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/f9EzCamD9e

— ᴊᴀʟꜱᴀ ᴋᴏʜʟɪ (@jalsakohli) January 28, 2025

Varun Chakravarthy in today's match v/s England be like 💥💥#INDvsENG #INDVENG
Ben Duckett Phil Salt Harry Brook pic.twitter.com/IZEel7xdsI

— Homskyra (@homskyra) January 28, 2025

RCB fans watching Phil Salt's batting in every match ...💔

#INDvsENG
pic.twitter.com/T7MauUB7x7

— Braj shyam maurya (@brijshyam07) January 28, 2025

Visitors England made a comeback in the T20I series against the hosts India after clinching a handsome 26-run win in the Rajkot T20I on Tuesday (January 28). 

Leading the T20I series by 2-0, the Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss once again and chose to field in the third of the five-match T20I series at Rajkot. It was the much-awaited comeback match for the Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who missed out on international cricket for more than 14 months. While England scored 171/9 in 20 overs, India replied with 145/9 in 20 overs. 

England innings: Ben Duckett powered before Varun Chakravarthy's magic

Although the opener Phil Salt once again lost his wicket early at five runs, his opening partner Ben Duckett set up a strong start with the in-form skipper Jos Buttler. Duckett was dominating the Indian bowlers from the powerplay and set up England’s first 50-run partnership in this T20I series as he had a 76-run partnership for the second wicket with Buttler. 

Once England were batting at 83/1, but the Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav handled the spinners really well as the English batting line-up once again faced deep trouble. From 83/1, England were suddenly down to 127/8. 

While the skipper Buttler scored 24 off 22 balls, the opener Duckett scored 51 off 28 balls with seven fours and two sixes. 

Leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy claimed a fifer as he had bowling figures of 4-0-24-5. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya picked up two wickets (2/33), while Axar Patel (1/19) and Ravi Bishnoi (1/46) got one wicket each. 

See Also: Jasprit Bumrah Honored as ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024

Liam Livingstone added vital runs

While the other English middle and lower-order batters struggled, Liam Livingstone added some vital runs of 43 off 24 balls with the help of one four and five sixes. Also, Adil Rashid (10*) and Mark Wood’s (10*) additions proved crucial for the visitors.

Indian innings: No strong batting performance; England bowlers were disciplined powered by Adil Rashid

In reply, England were taking wickets at regular intervals, while the English skipper Jos Buttler handled the bowlers really well. Opener Abhishek Sharma got a strong start but was caught out for 24 off 14 balls as Jofra Archer took a great catch. Captain Suryakumar Yadav (14) is far away from his form, while Tilak Varma was finally dismissed by brilliant Adil Rashid for 18 runs.

Apart from Abhishek, only Hardik Pandya scored 20+ runs in that innings, but he didn’t get any support who could help him by at least rotating the strike. Pandya scored 40 off 35 balls with one four and two sixes but it was far from enough.

Adil Rashid was exceptional once again with the bowling figures of 4-0-15-1, while Jamie Overton took three wickets (3/24). Also, Brydon Carse (2/28) and Jofra Archer (2/33) picked up two wickets and Mark Wood got a wicket (1/29).

With the 26-run win, England are trailing the five-match T20I series by 2-1 with two to go.