Wed Jan 29 18:38:34 UTC 2025: **India Loses Third T20 Against England by 26 Runs**
Rajkot, India (January 28, 2024) – England defeated India by 26 runs in the third T20I of their five-match series at the Nirjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Tuesday. Winning the toss, India opted to bowl first.
England, despite a strong start, posted a challenging 171/9 in their 20 overs, with Ben Duckett top-scoring on 51 and Liam Livingstone contributing 43. Varun Chakravarthy was the pick of the Indian bowlers, taking an impressive 5 wickets. Hardik Pandya claimed 2 wickets, while Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel each took one.
Chasing 172 for victory, India’s batting lineup faltered, managing only 145/9. Hardik Pandya (40) was the highest scorer for India, while other batsmen struggled to make significant contributions. Sanju Samson (3), Abhishek Sharma (24), Suryakumar Yadav (14), Tilak Varma (18), Washington Sundar (6), Axar Patel (15), Dhruv Jurel (2), and Mohammed Shami (7) all fell relatively cheaply. Jamie Overton (3 wickets), Jofra Archer (2 wickets), and Brydon Carse (2 wickets) were the chief destroyers for England’s bowling attack.
The win brings England back into the series, making the score 2-1 in India’s favor. Mohammed Shami replaced Arshdeep Singh in India’s playing XI, while England retained their starting lineup. The fourth match of the series will be played in Pune on January 31.
First Piper 