England v India: first men’s T20 international abandoned due to rain – as it happened
England's white-ball summer got off to a waterlogged start as their first men's T20 international against India ended in abandonment due to persistent rain.
The match saw India bat out their full 20 overs before conditions deteriorated, preventing England from chasing their target of 190. Rain began falling shortly after play got underway, though it remained light enough for India to complete their innings. However, conditions worsened significantly moments after India finished, ultimately denying England the opportunity to pursue their chase.
Despite the frustrations of the weather, both sides found encouragement in what cricket was possible. Saqib Mahmood impressed on his return to T20 international action, the Lancashire seamer taking three wickets following an injury-enforced absence since January 2025. He had sustained a knee injury last September but demonstrated his quality, with England restricting their opponents to 189 for seven.
India's contribution was led by Abhishek Sharma and captain Shreyas Iyer, who both registered half-centuries. Sharma was particularly aggressive, scoring 59 off just 24 balls with ten boundaries, including four sixes. He was eventually trapped lbw by Sam Curran in the ninth over. Iyer accumulated 68 before missing a straight delivery from Mahmood in the penultimate over, seeking to build on a disappointing start to his captaincy following defeats in Ireland.
The context was significant given India's dominant display when these sides met in the T20 World Cup semi-finals earlier this year. On that occasion, India's top three all scored half-centuries as the team amassed 203 before the second wicket fell. This time, two senior batsmen fell before the second over was complete, with Sanju Samson excellently caught by Tom Banton at backward point for just one and Ishan Kishan run out without scoring.
Shivam Dube contributed 42 off 21 balls as India reached their total. The evening, however, would ultimately be defined not by boundaries but by the persistent veil of rain that prevented a result.