🏏India Tour of England 2026: 3rd T20I on 7th July 2026 at 10PM IST🏏

🏏India Tour of England 2026: 3rd T20I at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on 7th July 2026 at 10PM IST🏏

More options, more problems for India?

India finally broke the glass on their boy wonder but the arrival of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi onto the international stage was ultimately an anticlimax. Not that there wasn't enough to get excited about in his 10-ball introduction - but India didn't capitalise on the fast start provided by Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma with the bat; then paid the price for some poor planning with the ball, as Ravi Bishnoi's quirky run-up ran into problems (and Jacob Bethell).

Leaving aside the abandonment in Durham, India have now lost three completed T20Is in a row for the first time since 2021 - when a second-string side suffered a surprise reverse in Sri Lanka and they were then beaten in their opening two games of the T20 World Cup. Defeat in Ireland could be blamed on the conditions (and planning, again) but on truer surfaces in England, India were expected to flex their IPL muscles.

It probably doesn't help that the management are trying to mould a side for 2028 under a new leader, in Shreyas Iyer, following the ruthless (but pragmatic) deposition of a T20 World Cup-winning captain, as well as manage such a competitive stable of players that the Player of the Tournament, Sanju Samson, finds himself out of the XI after three low scores. T20 is a fickle game but, after a run of 12 series wins a row ended in Ireland, defeat in Nottingham would put this one out of their reach with two to play.

When: Tuesday, 7 July 2026 at 5:30 PM LOCAL / 10:00 PM IST

Where: Trent Bridge, Nottingham

What to expect: A high-scoring venue that favours the chasing side. 11 of the last 15 T20s here since 2025 have been won by the chasing side with the average first innings winning total standing at 191.

Team news

England: The hosts have named an unchanged XI for the third T20I.

Playing XI: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue

India: While playing three spinners clearly did not work at Old Trafford, India may be tempted to retain the combination at the only venue of the series where spinners (21.35) enjoy a better bowling average than pacers (27.35). That said, after Bishnoi's poor display in the previous game, India could bring in Washington Sundar and also strengthen their batting in the process.

Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Harshit Rana, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar/Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy

In the spotlight: Jos Buttler and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Less than a year ago, England's opening pair were putting on 126 in 7.5 overs at Old Trafford, setting up a record-breaking total of 304 for 2. Jos Buttler had only moved back up from No. 3 for that series against South Africa, but soon convinced England that he should remain there alongside Phil Salt. However, the runs have since tailed off, and there were even question marks about whether he would continue post-World Cup. A duck at the weekend means Buttler has now only passed 30 once in his last 16 T20I innings.

For now and forever more, the full glare of the spotlight is on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Not that you would have known it from the way he strolled out to bat at Old Trafford. His brief stay saw him add Rajasthan Royals team-mate Jofra Archer to the long list of bowlers whose first ball he has hit for six, and there is every reason to expect that he will transfer his awesome hitting form from the IPL to India colours sooner rather than later.

Pitch and conditions: Sun shines, batters make hay?

Trent Bridge used to be a T20 batting paradise, with its flat decks and short hits to the boundary - especially towards the Bridgford Road side of the ground. However, there has been a little bit more for the bowlers in recent years, with the average score batting first in the Blast this season around 165. Another heatwave is expected in the UK, but it won't be too hot in Nottingham on Tuesday, with a late-afternoon forecast for 25C.

Stats and trivia

1. Sooryavanshi, in case you were unaware, became the youngest-ever India men's international, at 15 years and 99 days, in the second T20I - breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record by more than a year.
2. Josh Tongue, who also made his T20I debut at Old Trafford, will be playing his first home game in the format at Trent Bridge - despite joining Notts three years ago. Tongue has only made 22 career T20 appearances, including two at Trent Bridge on the away side, for Manchester Originals in the Hundred.
3. Adil Rashid, on 164 right now, needs two wickets to reach No. 2 on T20I wicket-takers' list. Rashid Khan leads the table with 193.

What they said

"Ever since Vaibhav came into the team, he was ready to debut. It's not that he was ready only in the last game. From our point of view, the only thing about his game that we've told him is whatever his game, his instinct, the way he plays, the cricket he has played to get here, he should stick to the same (style of) cricket... I don't think otherwise there's any precise instruction" - India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak.

ENG vs IND Head to Head T20I Record

Matches Played 32

Won by ENG 13

Won by IND 18

No Results 01

First-ever Fixture September 19, 2007 (IND Won)

Most Recent Fixture July 4, 2026 (ENG Won)

ENG vs IND Probable Best Performers of the Match

Probable Best Batter: Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma has been India's most prolific batter in this series. Despite being the second-highest run-scorer in the series, his 102 runs have come at a blistering strike rate of 212.50. He began the series with a 24-ball 59 in the first T20I that was washed out and followed it up with a 24-ball 43 in the second match, where he took his time to get going against the pace of Jofra Archer. He has provided the platform for India in both games, and with his form, another big score is seemingly on the cards.

Probable Best Bowler: Sam Curran

While all eyes were on Jofra Archer's searing pace and Josh Tongue's awkward angles, it was the wily Sam Curran who stole the show with the ball in the second T20I. The left-arm seamer pulled the game back in the middle overs after India had got off to a flyer, bowling with accuracy, control and deception. He finished with figures of 3 for 33 from four overs, picking up the key wickets of Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube and Ishan Kishan, ensuring India were unable to get ahead of the game.