India Clinch Historic T20I Series Win Against England with Dominant Victory at Old Trafford

The Indian women’s cricket team scripted history on Wednesday by securing their first-ever T20I series win on English soil, defeating the hosts by six wickets in the fourth T20I at Old Trafford, Manchester. The commanding win gave India an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, with one game still to be played at Edgbaston on Saturday.

This series triumph marks a major milestone for India, who had previously lost all six of their multi-game bilateral T20I series in England. The achievement underlines the team’s progress and growing confidence in overseas conditions.

Opting to bat first, England started on a cautious note with openers Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley. However, their early momentum was disrupted when Shree Charani dismissed Wyatt-Hodge in the third over, reducing the hosts to 21 for 1. Dunkley looked in good touch but fell to Deepti Sharma for 22 off 19 balls, and England reached 38/2 by the end of the powerplay.

A 35-run partnership between skipper Tammy Beaumont and Alice Capsey helped England steady their innings, taking the score to 68/2 at the halfway mark. But India’s bowlers tightened their grip in the second half of the innings. Radha Yadav’s tidy spell of 2 for 15 in four overs was crucial in curbing the scoring rate, while Shree Charani also finished with two wickets for 30 runs. England managed just 42 runs and lost five wickets in the last nine overs. A late cameo by Issy Wong and Sophie Ecclestone added 16 runs in the final over, pushing the total to 126/7 in 20 overs.

In response, India’s openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana came out aggressively, racing to a 56-run stand inside 4.4 overs and capitalizing on the powerplay. Shafali was dismissed in the seventh over, followed by Mandhana two overs later, but the platform had already been laid.

Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur built on the solid start with a 48-run partnership, steering India closer to the target. Although Kaur was dismissed with just 10 runs needed off 25 balls, Rodrigues stayed unbeaten and saw her side through with ease. India chased down the target in just 17 overs, finishing at 127/4.

The historic victory was set up by a complete team effort, with clinical performances in both batting and bowling. India had opened the series with a record 97-run win at Trent Bridge—their biggest T20I win over England—followed by a 24-run victory in Bristol. England bounced back in the third game with a narrow five-run win, but India sealed the series with their triumph in Manchester.