India’s T20I victory halted by rain after strong batting performance

Match abandoned India 189 for 7 (Shreyas 68, Abhishek 59, Mahmood 3‑33) vs England

The first T20I of the series was abandoned when rain halted play in the second half at Chester‑Le‑Street.

India chose to bat first and, thanks to a blistering 59 off twenty‑four balls from Abhishek Sharma and 68 from captain Shreyas Iyer, posted 189 for 7. England’s returning spinner Saqib Mahmood finished with 3 for 33.

Mahmood’s first wicket for England since the previous year, taken in the second over, dismissed Sanju Samson for a duck. Samson’s recent innings had seen scores of 5, 0 and 1. Samson was caught by Tom Banton at backward point. In the same over, Ishan Kishan was run out, bringing the score to 6 for 2.

Abhishek Sharma’s 59 off 24 balls—one of the fastest half‑centuries of the Powerplay—set India back on track and left them at 88 for 3 after 8.2 overs. Sam Curran removed the 25‑year‑old with a well‑directed leg cutter.

Shreyas Iyer, who shared a 38‑ball 82‑run partnership with Sharma, scored a quick 68. The tail also contributed, with Shivam Dube adding 42 at a strike rate of 200.

At the midpoint of India’s innings, the middle order amassed 77 runs off 57 balls, helping to set England a target of around 190—a target that appeared attainable. Yet the heavy rain that had started in the first part of the match intensified during the break, soaking the pitch.

Saqib’s salvo

The ECB reinforced its confidence in Mahmood by awarding him a 12‑month central contract during the latest round.

Earlier that summer, Mahmood had been recovering from knee surgery and had played through pain in an ODI against South Africa at Lord’s, conceding 0 for 53—a sign that surgery was still needed.

He was subsequently omitted from the Ireland T20I tour, missed a SA20 engagement with Pretoria Capitals, and was absent from early discussions of England’s T20 World Cup squad.

Mahmood returned to the England Lions and a pre‑season tour in Lancashire, bowling with the red ball, which re‑energised his training programme. He also secured a £150,000 contract with Birmingham Phoenix.

In this match he claimed key wickets throughout the innings, dismissing Sanju Samson early, then taking an LBW against Shreyas Iyer, and finally dismissing Tilak Varma via a low full‑toss.

Mahmood suffered a costly spell when Abhishek Sharma rattled him for three successive boundaries, with the latter two clearing the square‑leg fence. His second over—the fourth of the innings—yielded 21 runs. He finished with 2 for 11 over the final two overs, partially offsetting the earlier concession.

His place in England’s bowling arsenal across formats remains to be decided; Archer and Tongue were rested, Baker had not played since his Test debut, Carse was returning from a wrist injury, and Potts holds a central contract.

Despite the adverse conditions, Mahmood’s 39th international appearance offered a bright moment for him personally.

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