Tammy Beaumont to Captain England After Sciver-Brunt Suffers Groin Injury

England’s T20I campaign against India has taken another blow, with captain Nat Sciver-Brunt ruled out of the third match at The Kia Oval on Friday due to a groin injury. Tammy Beaumont, one of England’s most experienced players, will step in as stand-in captain — the first time she will lead her country in her 247-match international career.

Sciver-Brunt sustained the injury during England’s 24-run defeat in the second T20I in Bristol on Tuesday and will undergo further scans to determine the full extent of the damage. With England trailing 2-0 in the five-match series, her absence is a significant setback as the team fights to stay alive in the contest.

Beaumont, who top-scored for England in Bristol with a 35-ball 54 — her first T20I fifty in four years — said she was honoured to take on the captaincy, albeit in challenging circumstances.

"It’s a real pride and honour to have the captain’s armband, albeit in difficult circumstances," said Beaumont. "Charlotte [Edwards, head coach] asked to meet me this morning, and I said, ‘Yep, thank you very much. I’ll give it a good go.’ We need a bit of fight to come out in this series, and I’m probably someone who likes to get in a battle."

With Sciver-Brunt unavailable and England's vice-captain Sophia Dunkley briefly taking charge during the second T20I, team management has turned to Beaumont’s leadership and experience to help England regain their footing. The series had started positively for England this summer with a dominant performance against West Indies, but India’s strength has proven a much sterner test.

India opened the series with a crushing 97-run win at Trent Bridge, led by Smriti Mandhana’s century. In Bristol, Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur powered India to another commanding total of 181 for 4, as England’s bowlers struggled to contain the visitors.

Despite the setbacks, Beaumont remains optimistic and is focused on steadying the ship.

“The worst thing we could do right now is panic,” she said. “We didn’t want to be 2-0 down, and we didn’t want our captain and best batter out. But we’re here now. We need calm, rationale, and logic. We still believe we can come back.”

Sciver-Brunt had already been managing a workload restriction that kept her from bowling in the series, though she made notable contributions with the bat, including a 31-ball fifty in the first match. Beaumont, meanwhile, has been in good form, with two centuries in the recent ODI series against West Indies and a strong showing in her T20I return.

As for Sciver-Brunt’s return, Beaumont said it's still uncertain whether the all-rounder will be fit for the fourth T20I at Emirates Old Trafford next Wednesday.

“She’s got a scan today, so we’ll know more, but it’s in the balance for Manchester,” Beaumont added. “Whether it’s one game or a couple, I’m hoping to put my hand up and do the best I can. We’ll welcome Nat back with open arms whenever she’s fit.”

England’s struggles at home come after a largely unbeaten summer in 2024, though those wins were followed by underwhelming showings in global tournaments — including a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign and a 16-0 Ashes whitewash.

Still, Beaumont sees the pressure from India as an opportunity for long-term growth.

“We’ve wanted more challenge at home for a long time. We know our results in world tournaments haven’t been what we wanted. This might come as a shock, but we’re doing the hard work behind the scenes. There were some really honest reflections from players this morning. Tough times don’t last, but tough people do. We’re trying to become tough people in this team and keep moving forward.”