Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has delivered a scathing verdict on India’s latest T20I defeat, describing England’s series-clinching victory as “an insult too many” after another disappointing performance from the reigning world champions.

Soon after England recorded a comprehensive nine-wicket win in the fourth T20I in Bristol on Thursday, Tharoor took to the X to express his disbelief.

“I’m literally speechless. Shocked. Shocked.

This is too much of an insult. There’s literally nothing to say.”

His reaction came after Harry Brook and Phil Salt smashed unbeaten half-centuries to smash India’s bowling attack as they chased down the target of 159 in just 13.5 overs, giving England an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

The defeat has added to the worrying situation for India, who have now lost consecutive bilateral T20I series for the first time since 2019. The team had suffered a 2-0 defeat to Ireland before even reaching England, a stark contrast to the optimism that followed their T20 World Cup win in Ahmedabad four months earlier.

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India’s only bright spot in Bristol came through captain Shreyas Iyer, whose unbeaten 80 off 49 balls took the visitors to 158/7 after the top order once again struggled against England’s pace attack. However, the total proved nowhere near enough as Brook scored an unbeaten 79 off just 35 balls, while Phil Salt finished with an unbeaten 59 to complete the one-sided chase.

The latest setback also continued a difficult start to Iyer’s tenure as India’s T20I captain. Having taken over after the World Cup-winning campaign, the 30-year-old has suffered consecutive series defeats and is still looking for consistency from a team in transition.

Tharoor’s comments immediately impressed fans on social media and many pointed to India’s poor form. For a team that won the T20 World Cup just a few months ago, the current performance has been one of the worst in the format in recent years.

India will have their last chance to avoid a series whitewash when they take on England in the fifth and final T20I in Southampton on Saturday.

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