India Make Two Changes for Must-Win Fourth T20I as Shreyas Iyer Opts to Bat Against England

Bristol, July 2026 : India made two significant changes to their playing XI as captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat first in the crucial fourth T20 International against England at the County Ground in Bristol on Thursday. Trailing 2-0 in the five-match series, the visitors face a must-win situation to keep their hopes of clinching the series alive.

India brought back all-rounder Washington Sundar and fast bowler Prasidh Krishna in place of Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy, both of whom were ruled out with hamstring injuries. The match also marked a major milestone for left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel, who made his 100th appearance in T20 Internationals for India.

Speaking after the toss, skipper Shreyas Iyer acknowledged the importance of the contest and stressed that the team was determined to bounce back after consecutive defeats.

“This is a must-win game, and we are going to approach it with that mindset. We have played fearless cricket throughout the series, but we haven’t been able to execute our plans consistently. Today is a fresh opportunity, and the boys are in high spirits,” Iyer said.

He added that adaptability would be the key to success in Bristol’s challenging conditions.

“We want to maintain a positive approach, but at the same time, we have to assess the conditions, understand how the wicket behaves and even factor in the wind. If we adapt well to the situation, the results will follow,” he said.

India’s batting unit will once again rely on the aggressive opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, while wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan and captain Iyer are expected to anchor the middle order. Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel provide depth with both bat and ball, while the pace attack will be led by Arshdeep Singh alongside Prasidh Krishna and Prince Yadav.

England captain Harry Brook revealed that his side had made one change, bringing leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed into the playing XI in place of left-arm spinning all-rounder Liam Dawson.

Brook admitted that England would also have preferred to bat first but expressed confidence in his team’s recent form.

“We would have batted as well. There’s a nice, even covering of grass on the pitch. We played excellent cricket in the previous game, adapted well to the conditions and communicated brilliantly. It was a complete team performance,” Brook said.

The England skipper said his side was focused on sealing the series with another victory.

“It would be great to wrap up the series today. The approach remains the same—adapt to the conditions, communicate well and back ourselves. We have players throughout the lineup who are capable of making match-winning contributions,” he added.

England head into the contest with momentum after dominant performances in the previous two matches, while India will be desperate to produce an improved all-round display to force the series into the fifth and final T20I.

Playing XIs

India: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.

England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Harry Brook (captain), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue.

Team Maverick