Tue Jan 28 15:30:00 UTC 2025: ## India Stumbles in Third T20 Against England; Sanju Samson’s Poor Form Continues
Rajkot, India – India suffered a 26-run defeat against England in the third T20I match at the Rajkot’s Nirjan Shah Stadium, largely due to a top-order collapse. Sanju Samson’s struggles continued, as he was dismissed for just three runs in the third over, caught by Adil Rashid off Jofra Archer. This marks the third consecutive match where Archer has claimed Samson’s wicket.
Samson’s early dismissal triggered a mini-collapse. Abhishek Sharma (24), who hit five boundaries in his 14-ball knock, followed quickly, caught brilliantly by Archer off Brydon Carse. Suryakumar Yadav (14) also failed to make a significant contribution, caught by Salt off Mark Wood. India reached the powerplay at 51/3, leaving them with a mountain to climb.
Earlier in the match, England’s innings was effectively ended by Varun Chakravarthy’s remarkable spell of 5/24 in just four overs. Despite a 76-run partnership between Ben Duckett (51 off 28) and Jos Buttler (24), England’s middle order crumbled, managing only 172 runs. Several English batsmen failed to reach double figures.
While Samson’s spectacular catch dismissed Jos Buttler, the umpire’s initial decision was not-out, with India subsequently challenging the decision successfully.
Despite Hardik Pandya’s valiant effort, the Indian lower order couldn’t build on the foundations. Mohammed Shami’s return to the Indian team after the ODI World Cup final didn’t yield the desired results. He conceded 25 runs without taking a wicket in his three overs.
India’s next challenge will be to address their batting woes and improve their overall team performance.
First Piper 