Shreyas Iyer’s India Suffer Longest-Ever T20I Winless Streak After Nine-Wicket Loss To England

England produced another commanding performance to crush India by nine wickets in the fourth T20I at Bristol on Thursday, sealing an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series and extending the reigning T20 World Champions’ winless run to a record six matches. Chasing 159 for victory, England raced home in just 13.5 overs as Harry Brook’s unbeaten 79 off 35 balls and Phil Salt’s 59* powered the hosts to another comprehensive win to clinch the series.

Earlier, India struggled to build momentum despite captain Shreyas Iyer producing a fighting 80* off 49 deliveries. Having won the toss and elected to bat, India lost wickets at regular intervals and were unable to string together meaningful partnerships. Abhishek Sharma (16) and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (15) made brisk starts, but neither converted them into substantial scores, while Ishan Kishan (4) and Tilak Varma (11) also failed to make an impact.

Iyer held the innings together almost single-handedly, striking four boundaries and five sixes while scoring at over 160. Shivam Dube’s 22 was the only other notable contribution as India finished on 158/7, a total that always appeared below par on a batting-friendly surface. Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue claimed two wickets each to keep the visitors in check, while England’s bowlers consistently denied India the late acceleration they desperately needed.

ALSO READ | Anil Kumble Slams Indian Cricketers, Team Management Following Disappointing Losses Against England

Any hopes of India defending the target quickly disappeared once England began their chase. Phil Salt dominated the powerplay before sharing a match-defining partnership with Brook after Jos Buttler’s early dismissal. Brook was particularly destructive, hammering eight fours and four sixes during his unbeaten knock at a strike rate of 225. The Indian bowling attack failed to contain his assault as England completed the chase with 37 balls remaining.

The defeat sealed England’s third successive victory of the series and handed India yet another defeat under new captain Iyer. More significantly, it extended India’s winless run in T20Is to six matches, the longest in the team’s history. Since lifting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, India have lost twice to Ireland, seen the opening T20I against England washed out, and suffered three consecutive defeats in the ongoing series. 

India had already suffered a historic defeat in the previous game played at Trent Bridge, losing by 125 runs, their biggest defeat by runs in T20I history. The Men in Blue were bowled out for just 76, the second-lowest total ever recorded by India in the format.

Before this run, India had never gone more than four successive T20Is without a victory. The latest defeat marks an unwanted milestone for the reigning world champions, with Shreyas Iyer still searching for his first win as captain. It also confirms India’s first back-to-back bilateral T20I series defeats since 2019, leaving the visitors with plenty to ponder ahead of the fifth and final T20I.

ALSO READ | Who Is Arnav Paparkar? Indian Teen Tennis Star Who Made History At Wimbledon

Essential Business Intelligence,
Sharp Market Insights,
Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.