Rain washes out India-England T20I opener after Iyer, Abhishek power India to 189/7

India's opening T20I against England at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street was abandoned without a ball being bowled in the second innings after persistent rain left the outfield unfit for play.After winning the toss, India opted to bat first and recovered from a disastrous start to post a competitive 189/7 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to an explosive half-century from Abhishek Sharma and a captain's knock from Shreyas Iyer. However, the weather had the final say as continuous rain prevented England from beginning their chase of 190.India's innings began on a shaky note as Saqib Mahmood struck early to remove Sanju Samson, while Ishan Kishan was run out following a mix-up, leaving the visitors struggling at 6/2.With India under pressure, Abhishek Sharma launched a breathtaking counterattack. The left-hander took England's seamers apart with a fearless display of strokeplay, racing to his fifty in just 20 deliveries. Along the way, he also became the fastest batter from a Full Member nation to complete 100 sixes in T20 Internationals.Partnership for Abhishek and ShreyasAbhishek and Iyer added 82 runs for the third wicket to wrest back control of the innings. The opener eventually fell for a scintillating 59 off 24 balls, an innings studded with six fours and four sixes, after Sam Curran trapped him lbw.Following Abhishek's dismissal, skipper Shreyas Iyer assumed responsibility in the middle overs. Mixing calculated aggression with sensible strike rotation, the right-hander compiled a composed 68 off 47 deliveries, including six boundaries and a six. During his innings, Iyer also crossed the landmark of 5,000 international runs, becoming the latest Indian batter to achieve the feat.Although Saqib Mahmood returned to dismiss Iyer and finish with impressive figures of 3/33, India found valuable late runs through Shivam Dube. The all-rounder remained unbeaten on 42 off just 21 balls, striking three sixes and two fours to propel the visitors to 189/7.Rain played spoilsportsEngland never had the opportunity to begin their reply. Heavy rain arrived shortly after the innings break and continued throughout the evening, with the ground staff unable to prepare the playing surface before the cut-off time. As a result, the match was officially abandoned without a single delivery being bowled in England's innings, forcing both teams to settle for a no-result.Brief Scores: India 189/7 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 68, Abhishek Sharma 59, Shivam Dube 42*; Saqib Mahmood 3/33).Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.