3 concerns for India despite 4-1 triumph in IND vs ENG 2025 T20I series ft. Sanju Samson's short-ball woes

Team India reserved their best for last in the five-match T20I series against England. The Men in Blue thrashed the visitors by 150 runs in the final game at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, February 2 to seal an emphatic 4-1 scoreline.

India had a number of positives in the series. Varun Chakaravarthy led an incredible sequence of bowling displays, while Abhishek Sharma's pyrotechnics at the top of the order helped the side play the brand of cricket they've been vocal about wanting to play.

At the same time, though, there are a few issues that Suryakumar Yadav and Co. will need to address in the lead-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup. That tournament is still quite a while away, but India have set a high standard in white-ball cricket over the last two years and are working through a period of transition right now.

On that note, here are three concerns for India despite their comprehensive 4-1 win over England.

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#3 Does Sanju Samson have a new problem?

India v England - 3rd T20I - Source: Getty

Over the course of his career, Sanju Samson has been a fairly complete batter. He's been solid against both pace and spin, and he has no real negative matchups that have troubled him on a consistent basis. The keeper-batter's lack of runs at times has generally been due to shot selection and temperament instead of technique.

Now, however, is it time to ask whether Samson has an official problem? The opening batter was dismissed by the short ball five times in five matches, with Jofra Archer harrying him with pace and bounce. Mark Wood and Saqib Mahmood had their moments too, cramping him for room and limiting his run-scoring.

Samson was clearly unsettled by the ploys England used against him. He tried moving around in the fifth T20I, and it worked for less than an over before he was back in the pavilion. Oppositions will certainly try to employ the same strategies against him going forward, and the experienced batter will need to adapt.

Irrespective of what happens in the future, Samson endured a disappointing series, just when it seemed like he was finding his feet and sealing his spot in the T20I format.

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#2 Key upcoming Indian players finished the series without any real takeaways

India v England - 3rd T20I - Source: Getty

Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy are four players who could be an integral part of the T20I side over the next decade. However, all four ended the five-match T20I series against England without any real takeaways, due to contrasting reasons.

Jurel was used out of position at times, coming in as low as No. 8 in the third T20I before being dropped. With India yet to ascertain their frontline keeping options in the format, the youngster missed a chance to make a case for himself.

Sundar looks a bit out of place in the setup with both bat and ball. India clearly didn't want to bowl him to right-handers, and while they tried to use him up the order, his game isn't airtight enough for that to work yet.

With Rinku and Nitish, injuries were the main reason. The former played a scratchy knock in the fourth T20I and had limited involvement in two other games, while the latter suffered a niggle early and was ruled out of the series.

India would've loved to have some clarity regarding the ideal roles and current standing of these young players, but they finished the rubber without any.

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#1 Suryakumar Yadav has now gone two series without a score

India v England - 5th T20I - Source: Getty

Suryakumar Yadav's failures against South Africa were dismissed as bad luck, given the high-risk approach he employs. Even then, there were some questions over his form because of the relentless consistency he had displayed since making his T20I debut.

Now, following the five-match series against England, it's safe to say that Suryakumar isn't in the best of form right now. The Indian skipper went another assignment without any notable knocks and failed to deliver even in situations and conditions that were tailored for him.

India have struggled with underperforming captains in other formats recently, and the last thing they'll want is for their new T20I leader to have issues regarding his form. Suryakumar is a world-class player and deserves the benefit of every doubt, so the Men in Blue won't be too worried. But still, two series is a long time to be without a score.