Image: England's line-up of players for the third T20I match against India / © Sky Sports
For the third T20I against India, England has announced an unchanged playing XI, despite their struggles in the series so far. After back-to-back losses, including a two-wicket defeat in the second T20I, England has opted to retain the same lineup for the crucial match in Rajkot on January 28. The team will look to avoid a series defeat, with India leading 2-0.
While captain Jos Buttler has been in good form, scoring 68 in the first T20I and 45 in the second, England’s batting line-up has struggled. Phil Salt and Ben Duckett have underperformed, with Salt scoring just four runs and Duckett seven across both matches. Other key players like Liam Livingstone and Harry Brook have also faced challenges, with Brook contributing only 30 runs in two innings.
On the bowling side, Jofra Archer delivered a strong performance with figures of 2/21 in the first match, but was expensive in the second. Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, and Jamie Overton have also struggled for consistency. Despite these issues, the management has backed the same XI in a bid to turn the tide and avoid losing the series.
The lineup for the third T20I will be:
Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (C), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.