Former cricketer Irfan Pathan has highlighted the reason behind the team’s loss in the third T20I of the five-match series on the England tour of India 2025.

India suffered a 26-run defeat in the third T20I to keep the five-match series alive, making the scoreline 2-1. England set a target of 172 runs which the Men in Blues failed to chase despite an impressive knock from Abhishek Sharma.

He took a post in ‘X’ to cite the reason for India’s defeat at Rajkot. “In the T20 format ability to rotate the strike is very important on slightly slower wicket. India left it too much for too late in the end.”

In the T20 format ability to rotate the strike is very important on slightly slower wicket. India left it too much for too
late in the end.

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 28, 2025

Recapping the third T20I match, Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bowl first in the encounter.

Opener Ben Duckett made a half-century before being dismissed by Abhishek Sharma in Hardik Pandya’s delivery. Meanwhile, the middle order was ripped up by Varun Chakravarthy who picked 5/24.

Chakravarthy is currently the leading wicket-taker in the series, having picked 10 wickets from three games at economy rate of 7.08. During the Kolkata T20Is, he picked three wickets while he scalped two wickets at Chepauk.

With England struggling for 127/8, Liam Livingstone to made an impressive knock of 43 runs in 24 balls.

England finished 171 runs at Rajkot setting a formidable target against the hosts. Hardik Pandya impressed 40 runs off 35 deliveries and putting on a 38-run partnership with Axar Patel.

With Buttler caught Pandya off Jamie Overton’s bowling in the 19th over, India ended their innings with 26 runs short.

The Men in Blues leads the series 2-1 and India will be looking to seal the series win when the face England in the fourth T20I on January 31 at MCA Stadium in Pune.