England seal first-ever T20 series win over India in Bristol

England sealed their first-ever T20 series victory over India with a nine-wicket win in Bristol, chasing 159 in only 13.5 overs to go 3-0 up in the five-match contest. Phil Salt and Harry Brook did the damage with an unbroken 144-run stand for the second wicket, turning a competitive target into a rout and leaving India with a record fifth straight defeat in completed 20-over matches.

Brook finished 79 not out from 35 balls and Salt 59 not out from 42, the pair controlling England’s reply with clean hitting and relentless tempo. Their partnership ended the match long before the close. The series opener at Chester-le-Street on July 1 was washed out after India had reached 189 for 7, with Shreyas Iyer making 68 and Abhishek Sharma 59, but England have now won the next three completed matches in succession.

At Trent Bridge on July 7, England produced their heaviest T20I defeat by runs, beating India by 125 after bowling them out for 76 in 11.4 overs. Jofra Archer took 3 for 29 and Josh Tongue 4 for 28 in a collapse that exposed India’s batting depth, while Salt top-scored with 70 as England piled on the pressure. India had already lost a two-match T20I series in Ireland before this tour.

Shreyas Iyer was appointed India’s T20 captain on June 6 after Suryakumar Yadav’s stint ended. After the Bristol defeat, Iyer described India as being in a transition stage, with several youngsters playing in England for the first time, and said the total was not enough while his side fell short in execution. England captain Brook said the team had adapted well to different pitches and praised the communication between players and coaches, calling it “good fun”.

The fifth and final T20I is scheduled for Southampton on Saturday, July 11, 2026, and England can overtake India to go to No. 1 in the world rankings if they complete a 4-0 series win.