England beat India by 26 runs in third T20 in Rajkot to keep five-match series alive

England bounce back in Rajkot

England kept the five-match T20I series alive with a 26-run win over India in the third match in Rajkot. England posted 171/9, and then produced a collective bowling effort to restrict India to 145/9 in 20 overs, cutting India’s series lead to 2–1.

The match turned into a contest of phases: England started strongly, slipped into a mid-innings collapse, and then found enough late runs to set a defendable total. India’s chase never fully settled, as wickets at regular intervals kept the required rate climbing and limited the scope for a late surge.

Key performances

For England, Ben Duckett’s 51 and Liam Livingstone’s 43 helped the visitors reach 171 despite a cluster of wickets. Varun Chakravarthy led India’s bowling with a five-wicket haul (5/24), giving India a chance to control the total, but England’s bowlers responded by tightening lines and striking when partnerships threatened to form.

In the chase, Hardik Pandya top-scored with 40 off 35 balls, but India fell short as England’s attack—led by Jamie Overton’s three wickets—maintained pressure through the middle overs. The result sets up a tense finish to the series as both sides look to build momentum in the remaining matches.

What comes next

With India still ahead 2–1, the fourth T20 becomes pivotal: a win for India would move them to the brink, while another England victory would level the contest and push the series into a decider. Teams are expected to assess conditions closely, especially around how much assistance spinners get versus the value of pace at the death.

Selection calls—particularly the balance between batting depth and wicket-taking options—could decide the remainder of the series, as both teams have shown they can swing matches quickly when momentum shifts.