India vs England, 4th T20I: Team India will need to regroup quickly when they face England in a make or break 4th T20I at the County Ground in Bristol on July 9, Thursday. With the Men in Blue 0-2 down in the five-game T20I series and coming off a heavy 125-run defeat to England, they must win in Bristol to avoid yet another series defeat. With spotlight drawing on the tourists’ seemingly flawed combination, it will be interesting to see whether or not Sanju Samson will get an opportunity, with media reports strongly indicating it.
India vs England, 4th T20I: Will Sanju Samson be drafted back into India’s playing eleven?
The Kerala-born cricketer made way for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after registering three consecutive single-figure scores, including 5 and 0 in the shocking series victory to Ireland. With Sooryavanshi making a compelling case and Samson’s slump continuing, the latter was benched since the second T20I. Nevertheless, the tourists’ misfiring batting unit could make way for the 31-year-old’s inclusion again. While Sooryavanshi has not quite lived up to the hype, the Indian management is highly unlikely to make him the scapegoat following the two defeats. Kishan has also been struggling but Tilak seems to be the batter with the lowest number of credits currently.
The southpaw did decently in T20 World Cup 2026, aggregating 207 runs in nine matches but struggled for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026, managing 359 runs in 14 games as the five-time champions didn’t reach the playoffs. Compare that to Kishan, who delivered impactful performances in both T20 World Cup and IPL 2026. Varma huffed and puffed to fifty against Ireland but his other scores have been 19, 13, 24* and 3. Hence, the tourists could wield the axe on the Hyderabad-born cricketer. Nevertheless, it also goes without saying that Samson must deliver with the bat if given an opportunity in Bristol.
India vs England, 4th T20I: When did Team India last play a T20 international in Bristol?
The Men in Blue’s only T20I in Bristol came in 2018 when the Virat Kohli-led side faced England. Jason Roy had starred with a 31-ball 67 as the hosts reached an imposing 198/9 in 20 overs.
However, Rohit Sharma’s 100 off 56 deliveries overshadowed it, while Kohli (43) and Hardik Pandya (33*) also chipped in with crucial cameos as the tourists sealed the T20I series 2-1. Fans can expect another high-scoring contest on Thursday.
