India pulled off a remarkable turnaround to defeat England by 15 runs in the fourth T20I in Pune, sealing the series 3-1 with one match left to play in Mumbai. Captain Suryakumar Yadav credited the team’s positive mindset for overcoming an early collapse.
Batting first, India found themselves in deep trouble at 12/3 after losing Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and Suryakumar Yadav in the same over to Saqib Mahmood. However, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube rescued the innings with a crucial 87-run partnership, both scoring 53 to take India to a competitive 181/9 in 20 overs.
“We didn’t want to back down after that start. Losing three wickets in an over was tough, but we believed in our plan,” Suryakumar said post-match.
Bowlers Seal the Win
Chasing 182, England started strong, reaching 62 in the powerplay. But Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel turned the game around with key breakthroughs. Harry Brook’s 51 kept England in the hunt, but Varun Chakravarthy dismissed him at a crucial moment.
On debut, Harshit Rana, who replaced Dube as a concussion substitute, impressed with three wickets, helping bowl England out for 166 in 19.4 overs.
“We knew we could take control after the powerplay. Our bowlers stepped up, and Harshit Rana delivered on debut,” Suryakumar added.
With this win, India have now won T20Is in Kolkata, Chennai, and Pune, securing yet another home series victory.