3 big positives for India from 4-1 win in IND vs ENG 2025 T20I series ft. Varun Chakaravarthy's genius

Team India's dominant run in bilateral series continued as they hammered England 4-1 in the five-match rubber. The Men in Blue thrashed the visitors by 150 runs in the fifth and final T20I at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, February 2.

Under Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir, India's T20I performances have been hugely encouraging. New players are coming through the ranks, names who made their comebacks after some time away from the side have slotted in seamlessly, and the team as a whole is playing an attractive brand of cricket.

Against England, too, Suryakumar and Co. had a productive campaign that sets them up for bigger and better things. The 2026 T20 World Cup is still some time away, but India are already penciling their name in among the favorites to go all the way and retain their crown.

On that note, here are three big positives for India from their 4-1 win over England.

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#3 Varun Chakaravarthy has gone from strength to strength

India v England - 5th T20I - Source: Getty

Ever since making his T20I comeback, Varun Chakaravarthy has been one of the best spinners in the world. The Tamil Nadu spinner picked up 14 wickets against England and was consistently among the wickets throughout the series.

Chakaravarthy proved incredibly tough to pick for the visiting batters, who had no answers to his carrom balls, leg-breaks and googlies. He was quick through the air and hit the bat high, leading to plenty of bowled dismissals and catches in the deep.

Chakaravarthy is a unique weapon India have in the shortest format, and he will be one of the most integral parts of the side going forward.

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#2 India tried out two fast bowlers who needed to be tried out

India v England - 4th T20I - Source: Getty

Whether they bowled enough overs or not is up for debate, but India managed to field both Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana during the five-match T20I series against England.

Shami, making his international comeback after a long spell on the sidelines, sent down almost seven overs and picked up three wickets. While he didn't seem to be at his fastest or fittest, reports suggest that the reason he was picked was to help him train with the Indian team's support staff. That objective was certainly achieved, and he pulled through without any setbacks.

Rana, meanwhile, came in as a concussion sub in the fourth T20I and immediately made an impact, with his three-fer sealing the game for India. A player who should have made his debut long ago, the fast bowler has all the raw materials to be a cornerstone of the side for years to come.

Arshdeep Singh, on the other hand, was consistent as always. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, the three fast bowlers, often playing a lone hand in the attack, did well.

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#1 Abhishek Sharma conquered the pace challenge with ease

India v England - 5th T20I - Source: Getty

Ahead of the T20I series against England, there were concerns over whether Abhishek Sharma would be able to handle the pace and bounce of the opposition fast bowlers. He had struggled slightly against hard lengths down in South Africa, and the left-hander needed to show serious improvements to his game.

Abhishek did that, and then some. Never troubled by the hostility and skillset of Jofra Archer, he gave India fiery starts at the top of the order and converted two of those into match-winning big knocks. The 24-year-old also seemed comfortable against the other England pacers for the most part.

Abhishek has clearly done a lot of work in his game, and he is in serious contention to retain his place in India's first-choice T20I side once the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill return.