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India inflict heavy defeat on England in first T20
For so long, the notion of an England team sheet without Heather Knight as the first name seemed unfathomable.
Yet, on the day she became England Women’s most-capped cricketer, former captain Knight’s T20 form continues to raise concerns, just three weeks ahead of a home World Cup.
England were comprehensively outplayed by India with both bat and ball in the first of their three-match T20 series, and Knight’s 21 from 24 balls hindered England’s progress in their pursuit of 189.
Amy Jones struck a 32-ball 50, but when 35-year-old Knight was dismissed in the 14th over after a labored innings featuring 11 dot balls, England had fallen significantly behind the required run rate, needing more than 13 an over.
“Knight going at less than a run a ball added pressure on Amy Jones, so she’s slowed down trying to wallop absolutely every ball to the boundary, and the lack of boundaries means England have fallen behind,” said former England spinner Alex Hartley on Test Match Special.
“It is a little bit of a concern. If you think about where Heather was a year ago, she was striking the ball so cleanly.”
While openers Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey fell cheaply, they did not consume many deliveries – Dunkley scored 16 from 10 balls and Capsey six from five.
Experienced opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge, having returned from maternity leave, is available for the next T20 at Bristol on Saturday and is likely to replace Capsey at the top of the order.
With injured captain Nat Sciver-Brunt expected to be fit for the start of the World Cup, England are eager for her presence in the middle order. The question for coach Charlotte Edwards is whether Capsey should move down a position – and, if so, who makes way?
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Dropping Knight, who made a record 310th England appearance at Chelmsford, would be a significant decision for Edwards ahead of such a crucial summer.
Hartley suggested that her top three would consist of Wyatt-Hodge, Capsey, and Sciver-Brunt, retaining Knight in the middle order and with Dunkley missing out.
However, Dunkley is one of the few England batters capable of clearing the boundary ropes, an area where they are currently lacking.
Since the last T20 World Cup in 2024, Dunkley has hit 11 sixes, and Wyatt-Hodge has struck five. They are the only batters in England’s top seven to have hit more than three sixes in that period.
Explosive all-rounders Dani Gibson and Freya Kemp were tasked with scoring at more than 10 runs per over when they came in, finding themselves in a similar situation to England’s defeat by New Zealand at Canterbury.
On both occasions, they fell cheaply trying to score quickly from the first ball due to the pressure that had built while Knight was batting.
The argument to stick with Knight is not strengthened by the fact her attacking shot percentage has dropped to 64% in 2026, compared to 75% between 2023 and 2025.
“I don’t think Charlotte Edwards will want to drop one of the all-rounders,” Hartley added.
“She’s a huge all-rounder fan and she wants that left-hander in Kemp as well.”
Former England Test captain Nasser Hussain backed Knight to perform, citing her extensive experience, but acknowledged the need for improvement.
“I back Heather because she has been a world-class player for a long time,” Hussain said on Sky Sports.
“Under pressure you need people like Heather Knight, but she will know her last four innings, particularly today, to a get a run-a-ball 20 after three run-a-ball 20s – you are better getting out for a first-ball duck than getting that.
“She didn’t play T20 internationals for a year. Maybe she is taking time to get going.
“She is not as mobile. She is not someone like Jemimah Rodrigues who is putting away the bad balls and looks a lot busier, but she has been around long enough to know that is not the innings you need in a 180 run-chase.”
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