Ravi Bishnoi’s 17th over at Old Trafford cost 29 runs and included three back-foot no-balls across the match, the kind of execution fault that turned a tight run chase into a comfortable four-wicket England win. That single over reopened a question that predates the match itself: why India trusted an out-of-favour bowler with an uncertain IPL 2026 role over three other spin options with clearer credentials heading into this series, and whether the warning signs were visible well before the team sheet was ever confirmed for Old Trafford.
The Over That Reopened Old Doubts
Bishnoi bowled three back-foot no-balls at Old Trafford. The 17th over alone cost 29 runs, two producing free-hit sixes as Jacob Bethell swatted his way from need to dominance. By over’s end, the win-probability model had swung from India near two-thirds favourites to England close to 87 percent.
Those no-balls alone generated 19 runs, enough to turn a likely final-over thriller into a comfortable four-wicket England win with six balls spare. The over was a disaster; the selection call that preceded it is the less-discussed part.
IND vs ENG T20I 2026 Bishnoi Selection Questioned
India’s squad carries four spin options: Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, each with different IPL 2026 form. Chakravarthy, off back-to-back 20-plus wicket seasons for Kolkata Knight Riders, missed the Ireland series with injury but was fit for England. Axar, Delhi Capitals’ captain, had the group’s toughest IPL 2026 season at an economy near 8.53, but carries 100 T20I wickets. Sundar, at the Gujarat Titans, took just one wicket all season.
Bishnoi, with 11 wickets in 9 matches and an inconsistent franchise role, was picked as the fourth spinner and handed the XI for both England matches, despite missing both Ireland games.
Spinner | IPL 2026 Matches Played | IPL 2026 Economy | T20Is This Tour | T20I Economy |
Ravi Bishnoi | 9 of 16 (RR) | 10.25 (career average) | 2 (1st washed out) | 15.00 (2nd T20I) |
Varun Chakravarthy | Not confirmed (KKR) | 8.78 (career average) | 2 (1st washed out) | 9.25 (2nd T20I) |
Axar Patel | Roughly 14 (DC) | 7.95 | 2 (1st washed out) | 8.25 (2nd T20I) |
Washington Sundar | Roughly 12 (GT) | 8.10 (career average) | 0 (squad, not XI) | Not applicable |
IPL 2026 economy for Bishnoi and Sundar are career averages; Chakravarthy’s exact figure was unconfirmed. Axar’s is mid-season data. T20I economy reflects the second match only, since the first washed out.
His Actual Franchise Form This Season
Rajasthan Royals paid 7.2 crore rupees for Bishnoi at the IPL 2026 auction, alongside Jofra Archer and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He delivered in bursts: 11 wickets across 9 of 16 matches, including a four-wicket haul against the Gujarat Titans that made him the youngest Indian bowler to reach 200 T20 wickets.
Nine matches from sixteen also means an XI spot that was not secure. Rajasthan Royals went further without him, through an Eliminator and a Qualifier 2, and his last IPL 2026 game came in early May. His India call-up was widely called a surprise.
The Spinners Left Waiting On The Bench
Management’s logic was that Bishnoi represented a good match-up against England. That might have been defensible before July 4, but is harder to defend after three back-foot no-balls in one match, two in the critical 17th over, produced by a new zig-zag run-up introduced this IPL.
Back-foot no-balls from a spinner are not adrenaline or pace; they are an execution failure correctable in practice. If the flaw was visible during IPL 2026, management had the information to check whether it was actually fixed before naming him in the XI.
The Decision Facing The Next Team Sheet
The strongest argument for Bishnoi’s selection, his IPL wicket-taking record, is offset by the evidence from Old Trafford. Axar finished with 1 for 33 in four overs, India’s most controlled spinner on the day and now also holder of a landmark 100 wickets in the format. Sundar remained unused in both England matches despite being part of the World Cup-winning squad and carrying a career economy far more reliable than 15.00.
India travel to Nottingham on Tuesday, 1-0 down. Whatever else changes, the IND vs ENG T20I 2026 Bishnoi selection questioned by that over at Old Trafford follows Iyer into the next team sheet, whether the answer is a lesson learned or another match-up hunch under an even sharper spotlight.
Should Bishnoi keep his place for Nottingham, or has Old Trafford settled the argument for Sundar or Chakravarthy instead? Share your view below.
FAQs
How many matches did Ravi Bishnoi play for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026?
He played 9 of Rajasthan Royals’ 16 matches, taking 11 wickets. His final appearance came in early May, meaning he missed the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 stages of the tournament entirely.
Why was Ravi Bishnoi picked for the England T20I series?
Team management viewed him as a match-up option against England’s batting. That leaned on his IPL 2026 wicket tally, despite playing only half of Rajasthan Royals’ matches and neither Ireland T20I.
What happened in Ravi Bishnoi’s over against England?
His 17th over at Old Trafford cost 29 runs, including two back-foot no-balls that produced free hits. He finished with 0 for 60 from four overs, an economy of 15.00, after three no-balls generated 19 extra runs.
Who are India’s other spin options for the third T20I?
Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are the alternatives. Axar was the most controlled spinner in the second T20I with 1 for 33; Sundar, a World Cup winner, has not featured.
Has Ravi Bishnoi been dropped from India’s T20I squad before?
Yes, his international career has been stop-start since his 2022 debut. He briefly reached the number one ICC T20I ranking in 2023 but missed the World Cup 2026 squad.