Chester-le-Street: Rain abandons India-England T20...

By Ishaan Kapoor — 2 July 2026 — 3 min read

The opening T20I match between India and England at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street was called off due to persistent rain, preventing England from beginning their chase. Despite the weather interruption, India had managed to post a competitive total of 189 for seven in their allotted 20 overs, driven by significant contributions from Abhishek Sharma and captain Shreyas Iyer.

India, after winning the toss and electing to bat first, faced an early setback in their innings. Openers Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan were dismissed quickly, leaving the team in a difficult position at six runs for two wickets. Saqib Mahmood claimed the wicket of Sanju Samson, while Ishan Kishan was run out following a mix-up between the wickets.

Sharma’s Explosive Half-Century

Under pressure, Abhishek Sharma initiated a counterattack against the England bowlers. The left-handed batter displayed an aggressive style of play, reaching his half-century in just 20 deliveries. His rapid scoring included six fours and four sixes before he was eventually trapped leg before wicket by Sam Curran, departing after scoring 59 runs off 24 balls.

During his innings, Abhishek Sharma also achieved a notable milestone, becoming the fastest batter from a Full Member nation to complete 100 sixes in T20 Internationals. His partnership with Shreyas Iyer for the third wicket was crucial, adding 82 runs and helping India regain control of their innings after the early wickets.

Iyer’s Captain’s Knock and Dube’s Finish

Following Abhishek Sharma‘s dismissal, skipper Shreyas Iyer took charge of the innings. He played a composed knock, combining calculated aggression with effective strike rotation. Iyer scored 68 runs off 47 deliveries, an innings that featured six boundaries and one six. His performance also saw him cross the landmark of 5,000 international runs, making him the latest Indian batter to achieve this feat.

Saqib Mahmood returned to dismiss Shreyas Iyer, finishing with bowling figures of three wickets for 33 runs. Despite the loss of Iyer, India found valuable late runs through all-rounder Shivam Dube. Dube remained unbeaten, scoring 42 runs off just 21 balls, an innings that included three sixes and two fours, propelling India to their final total of 189 for seven.

Rain Forces Abandonment

Heavy rain began shortly after India‘s innings concluded and continued throughout the evening, making it impossible for the ground staff to prepare the playing surface for England‘s reply. The match was officially abandoned without a single delivery being bowled in England‘s innings, resulting in a no-result decision. The umpires made the decision to call off the match with approximately 40 minutes remaining until the cut-off time for a five-over game.

The persistent rain meant that England never had the opportunity to begin their chase of 190 runs. The first T20I of the series thus ended without a conclusive result. The second match of the five-match series is scheduled to take place in Manchester on July 4.

Brief Scores: India 189/7 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 68, Abhishek Sharma 59, Shivam Dube 42*; Saqib Mahmood 3/33) vs England. No result.

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