RAJKOT: India suffered a defeat in the third T20I match against England in Rajkot. Chasing a target of 172, India's innings ended at 145/9 in 20 overs. Despite conceding a defeat, India is still 2-1 up in the 5-match series. England's disciplined bowling performance played a crucial role in their first win of the series. Varun Chakravarthy, who took five wickets, was named the Player of the Match despite India's loss.

Score: England 171-9 (20) | India 145-9 (20)

Chasing 172, India lost their first wicket early when Malayali cricketer Sanju Samson was dismissed for just 3 runs off 6 balls. Abhishek Sharma scored an aggressive 24 off 14 but fell soon after. Captain Suryakumar Yadav (14 off 7) and the previous match's hero Tilak Varma (18 off 14) were also dismissed cheaply. Hardik Pandya top-scored with 40 runs off 35 balls.

Washington Sundar (6 off 15) and Axar Patel (15 off 16) struggled to accelerate, adding to the pressure on Hardik. Dhruv Jurel managed only 2 runs. For England, Jamie Overton claimed three wickets, while Adil Rashid delivered an exceptional spell, conceding just 15 runs in four overs. Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse took two wickets each, with Rashid and Mark Wood chipping in with one apiece.

Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav had won the toss and elected to bowl first. England got off to an explosive start, with opener Ben Duckett scoring 51 off 28 balls. However, the middle order failed to capitalize, and England managed 171/9 in 20 overs. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy dismantled the English lineup with a five-wicket haul.

Besides Duckett, Liam Livingstone (43 off 24) and captain Jos Buttler (24 off 22) made notable contributions. England lost the wicket of opener Philip Salt (5 off 7) in the second over. Duckett and Buttler added 76 runs for the second wicket, bringing England to a strong position at 83/1. However, both fell in quick succession, dealing a blow to England.

The middle and lower order, including Harry Brook (8 off 10), Jamie Smith (6 off 4), Jamie Overton (0 off 1), Brydon Carse (3 off 4), and Jofra Archer (0 off 1), failed to deliver. Adil Rashid (10 off 9) and Mark Wood (10 off 10) remained unbeaten. For India, Hardik Pandya took two wickets, while Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel picked up one each.