LONDON: England have shattered the aura of Indian invincibility in T20 cricket, handing the reigning world champions a damaging series defeat and exposing deep concerns over form, selection, captaincy and tactical direction under head coach Gautam Gambhir.
India arrived in England as the dominant force in the format, fresh from T20 World Cup glory and carrying the reputation of a side that had won 16 consecutive T20I series. But a disastrous tour of Ireland and England has turned that confidence into crisis.
The slide began with a 2-0 defeat in Ireland, India’s first-ever T20I series loss against the Irish. It continued in England, where the hosts sealed the five-match series with a commanding 3-0 lead after the fourth match, with one game still remaining.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has now confirmed that it will conduct a review after the tour ends on July 19.
Review meeting
“We will have a review meeting with the core members of the team to discuss what went wrong in England,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said.
India’s collapse has been sharp and uncomfortable. At Trent Bridge, they were bowled out for just 76 and suffered their heaviest T20I defeat by 125 runs. In Bristol, they were beaten by nine wickets after England chased 159 with more than six overs to spare.
England’s settled side, led by Harry Brook, looked sharper, calmer and better prepared. Brook and Phil Salt punished India’s tired bowling attack, while Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue exposed the fragility of a new-look batting order.
Gambhir has described India’s situation as a “reset,” pointing to major changes from the World Cup-winning squad. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma now focus on ODIs and the IPL, while Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are unavailable due to workload and injury management.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, only 15, has struggled in his first international series, scoring 14, 13 and 15. Shreyas Iyer, who replaced Suryakumar Yadav as captain, is yet to win a match, with India losing five of six games under him and one ending in no result.
However, critics argue that India’s problems are not only about transition. Selection calls have also come under scrutiny, particularly the axing of Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson. Former players have questioned whether India removed too much experience too quickly.
Tactical decisions have also drawn criticism. Former India coach Anil Kumble questioned the move to send Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube during the Nottingham collapse, saying modern cricket does not work that way.
The defeat also threatens India’s hold on the No.1 T20I ranking, which they have maintained since February 2022.
For Gambhir, the pressure is growing. His limited-overs success had protected him from criticism after poor Test results, including home series defeats. But England’s dominance has now raised a bigger question: whether India’s reset is a planned transition or the beginning of a deeper decline.
