Rain Washes Out India vs England First T20I in Durham
Persistent rain forced the abandonment of the series opener, leaving the five-match T20I series tied at 0-0.
The highly anticipated first T20I between India and England at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street was abandoned without a result on Wednesday due to heavy rainfall. After India posted 189 for 7 in their 20 overs, the downpour intensified during the break, preventing England from beginning their chase. Officials eventually called off the match, keeping the series level at 0-0.
Earlier, India opted to bat after winning the toss but stumbled early, losing Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan within the first two overs. Abhishek Sharma led the counterattack with a blistering 59 off 24 balls, smashing six sixes to become the fastest to 100 T20I sixes in terms of balls faced. Captain Shreyas Iyer anchored the innings with 68 off 47, and Shivam Dube's unbeaten 42 off 21 powered India past 180.
For England, Saqib Mahmood impressed on his return with 3 for 33, while Adil Rashid and Sam Curran took one wicket each. The second T20I is scheduled for Friday in Cardiff.