Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's highly-anticipated debut didn't turn out as expected as England rode on Jacob Bethell's unbeaten 76 and Sam Curran's three-fer to nail India by four wickets in the second T20I at Old Trafford.
England down India by 4 wickets in 2nd T20I
A disastrous 29-run over from Ravi Bishnoi overshadowed Sooryavanshi's historic debut as England chased down 191-run target with an over to spare. The turning point came in the 17th over when an erratic Bishnoi gifted England extra opportunities by starting the over with consecutive no-balls. England's Jacob Bethell, playing a brilliant redemption knock after his team's recent T20 World Cup semifinal loss, capitalized beautifully. Smashed three huge sixes to finish unbeaten on 76 from 46 deliveries, Bethell ensured the hosts crossed the finish line with six balls left.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's debut spoiled
Earlier, a collective batting effort powered India to a formidable 190/7. After choosing to bat first, the visitors rode on dynamic contributions from Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, capped off by a spectacular late-innings blitz from vice-captain Tilak Varma. India’s finish was particularly crucial; a blistering surge of 23 runs off the final seven deliveries rescued the innings just as a mid-innings slowdown threatened to cap their momentum.
The match began with massive historic significance as 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi walked out to open alongside Abhishek Sharma. At just 15 years and 99 days old, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to ever represent India across all formats, as well as the youngest T20I debutant from any Test-playing nation. The teenager enjoyed a brief but thrilling cameo, launching two massive sixes in a 10-ball 14 before being stumped off Will Jacks. Following the youngster's departure, Abhishek took full control of the powerplay, blistering a quickfire 43 before falling to Sam Curran.
As the innings progressed, Ishan Kishan provided stability with an anchored 49, pairing beautifully with skipper Shreyas Iyer, who injected urgency into the middle overs with a rapid 22-ball 37. However, England’s bowling unit—led by Curran, Jacks, and Liam Dawson—clawed their way back by strangling the run rate and taking timely wickets. The frustration peaked for India in the 19th over through a bizarre piece of bad luck, as Axar Patel was run out when a throw from Jos Buttler deflected off the striker's stumps to break the bails at the non-striker's end. Fortunately, Tilak Varma provided the perfect antidote in the final over, taking Jofra Archer apart for 17 runs to ensure a high-octane finish despite Archer removing Harshit Rana on the final ball. Curran emerged as the pick of the English attack with three wickets, while Jacks, Dawson, and Archer claimed one apiece.
Jacob Bethell rescues England after horror start
England's chase began in disastrous fashion as Arshdeep Singh sensationally removed both dangerous openers, Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, early on. However, the initial shock didn't last long. Skipper Harry Brook launched a brutal counter-offensive against the experienced left-arm seamer, plundering 27 runs in a single over that featured three towering sixes and a pair of boundaries. Although Axar Patel eventually broke the partnership by having Brook caught down the leg side by Ishan Kishan for a frantic 15-ball 39, the England captain had already successfully shifted the psychological advantage back to the hosts.
Ravi Bishnoi's costly over sink India
Jacob Bethell was then joined by Tom Banton, and the duo systematically took control of the game with a mature 67-run partnership for the fourth wicket. A major factor in their success was the tactical failure of India’s frontline spinners, Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakravarthy, who struggled on a skiddy surface by bowling too flat and fast. This allowed the English batsmen to easily rock back and play their shots, contrasting sharply with the English spinners who had excelled earlier by bowling slower through the air. While Axar Patel stood out as the only Indian spinner to hold his own, Shreyas Iyer's tactical decision to bring Arshdeep back in the 13th over briefly revived India's hopes when Banton holed out to deep extra cover. Unfortunately, despite Chakravarthy later picking up Will Jacks in the final over, Bishnoi's expensive over had already shattered any realistic chance of an Indian victory.