IND vs ENG 1st T20I: Rain ruins India’s strong start after Iyer, Abhishek shine… but what about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi?

The much-anticipated first T20I between India national cricket team and England cricket team ended in frustration on Wednesday as heavy rain forced the match to be abandoned at the Riverside Ground.

With the series opener washed out before England could even begin their chase, fans were left wondering what could have been after India put up a fighting total of 189/7 in 20 overs.

Before the match, much of the buzz surrounded Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old sensation who had been widely tipped to make his senior debut. However, the teenage prodigy was once again left out of the playing XI, sparking conversations among fans and experts alike.

India skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bat first, but the innings got off to a nightmare start.

Opener Sanju Samson was dismissed for just 1 run, falling to England pacer Saqib Mahmood in the second over. Moments later, Ishan Kishan suffered a bizarre run-out for a duck after a miscommunication with Abhishek Sharma.

The chaotic dismissal quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the match, with Abhishek visibly frustrated after stopping Kishan mid-run.

But just when India looked in trouble at 2 wickets down early, captain Iyer stepped up with a composed and classy innings. Batting at No. 4, he scored 68 off 47 balls, anchoring the innings with six boundaries and a six.

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Iyer found the perfect partner in Abhishek Sharma, who played an explosive knock of 59 off just 24 deliveries, smashing six fours and four sixes. Their 82-run partnership steadied India and shifted momentum back in their favour.

Even as wickets fell at regular intervals, India kept pushing the scoring rate. Shivam Dube provided the late fireworks with an unbeaten 42 off 21 balls, including three towering sixes.

India eventually finished at 189/7, a competitive total on a pitch that wasn’t easy to bat on.

However, just minutes after the innings break, dark clouds gathered and rain began pouring heavily. Despite multiple inspections and hopes of a shortened chase, the weather refused to improve, forcing the umpires to call off the match.

The no-result means the five-match T20I series remains level, with both teams now heading to Old Trafford Cricket Ground for the second T20I on Saturday.

While rain may have denied a result, India will take confidence from their batting performance — and fans will continue to wait for the much-talked-about debut of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.