Indian sports wrap, January 29: India begins mixed disability T20I series with win over England; Senthilkumar, Chotrani advance in Washington

SQUASH

Senthilkumar, Chotrani advance in Washington

Reigning men’s national champion Velavan Senthilkumar and Veer Chotrani advanced in the Squash on Fire Open in Washington with hard-fought first-round wins in the PSA Bronze-level event.

World no. 46 Senthilkumar rallied to beat England’s Tom Walsh 12-14, 11-8, 11-8, 11-6, and will next meet Mexican World no. 11 and second seed Leonel Cardenas.

Chotrani edged out Hungary’s Balazs Farkas 6-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-3. The World no. 49 will take on French World no. 19 and fourth seed Baptiste Masotti next.

Women’s National champion and seventh seed Anahat Singh received a first-round bye.

-Team Sportstar

CRICKET

India starts on a high in mixed disability England series

India got off to a strong start in the historic five-match mixed disability T20I series against England, registering a convincing seven-wicket victory over England in the opening match at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium, Greater Noida, on Thursday.

Batting first after losing the toss, England put on a competitive 173 for 5 in its allotted 20 overs. England captain Callum Flynn set the early tempo with an aggressive 26 off 16 balls, while Lian O’Brien anchored the innings with a composed 55 off 41 deliveries, striking four boundaries and three sixes.

Wicketkeeper-batter Angus Grant Brown added valuable runs in the latter half, scoring a fluent 53 off 34 balls to ensure England crossed the 170-run mark.

India’s bowlers maintained discipline during key phases of the innings. Akash Singh and Vivek Kumar picked up important wickets at crucial moments, preventing England from building sustained partnerships and keeping the target within reach.

In response, India chased down the total with confidence, reaching 175 for 3 in 18.5 overs. The chase was spearheaded by wicketkeeper-batter Yogendra Bhadoria, who delivered a match-winning performance with a magnificent 94 off 59 balls. Bhadoria’s innings, which included six fours and five sixes, provided stability and momentum throughout the run chase.

Bhadoria received able support from Akash Singh, who played a quickfire knock of 36 off just 15 balls, striking at an impressive rate and putting pressure back on the English bowlers.

The win gives India a 1–0 lead in the series. The second T20I will also be played in Greater Noida.

-Team Sportstar

Published on Jan 29, 2026