England unchanged for third T20 vs India at Trent Bridge on Tuesday as they look to take 2-0 lead in five-match series

skysports

skysports|08-07-2026

England have stuck with a winning formula for the third T20I against India at Trent Bridge, naming an unchanged XI as they look to stretch their lead to 2-0 in the five-match series.

The hosts are still riding high from Saturday's thriller at Old Trafford, where Jacob Bethell's sparkling 76 not out off 46 balls guided them past India's total of 191 with an over to spare. That came after the series opener in Durham was washed out, despite India posting a competitive 189-7.

Manchester also gave us one of those "did that really just happen?" moments, the international debut of 15-year-old Indian prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The teenager, who took the IPL by storm earlier this year, announced himself on the big stage by launching Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue for sixes in his first few deliveries. He eventually fell for 14 off 10 balls, stumped off Will Jacks' spin, but the kid had already made his mark.

For the Nottingham clash, which starts at 5:30 pm UK time and will be live on Sky Sports, England are rolling out the same pace attack that did the job in Manchester: Archer, Tongue (who made his T20I debut over the weekend), and Sam Curran.
The spin department will be led by Jacks, Adil Rashid, and Liam Dawson, with Bethell offering a handy part-time option if needed.

One area England will be keen to improve? The top order. Openers Phil Salt and Jos Buttler both fell for ducks in the very first over at Old Trafford, courtesy of Arshdeep Singh's fiery new-ball spell. They'll be desperate to put that behind them on Tuesday.

Josh Tongue, who's been a regular in England's Test setup with 57 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 29.66, is also in the squad for the upcoming ODI series against India.
The pacer reflected on his journey so far:

"I've always wanted to play all three formats. It's a privilege to pull on an England shirt," he said. "Test cricket takes a real toll on the body; I've learned that the hard way over the last few years. The key is knowing your body inside out and making sure you've got the right support around you to stay as fit as possible."

On the subject of facing Sooryavanshi, who earned his India call-up after smashing 776 runs in IPL 2026 at a mind-boggling strike rate of 237.30, Tongue was respectful but unfazed:

"I've watched him in the IPL, and there's no denying he's an amazing talent," he admitted.
"He got hold of one of my deliveries and sent it for six—fair play, it was a nice shot. But I try not to overthink the opposition. My focus is always on what I need to do out there."

With the series finely poised, Trent Bridge promises another cracking contest under the lights.
With the series finely poised, Trent Bridge promises another cracking contest under the lights.