Heather Knight stars as England seal India T20 series win

Charlotte Edwards says there was never any doubt around Heather Knight's place in England's World Cup side as the former captain returned to form in a series-clinching win in the third T20 against India.

Knight, 35, made a magnificent unbeaten 70 as England emphatically chased 181 to win the series 2-1, after she had endured a lean start to the summer.

In the five preceding T20s against New Zealand and India, Knight's strike-rate had been the main cause for concern as she made scores of 19 (17), 25 (23), 18 (22), 21 (24) and 18 (14).

But under pressure in the series decider, Knight, who became England women's most-capped cricketer last month, was at her fluent best with 10 fours in a 42-ball knock.

"It's been quite interesting listening to some of the press this week," head coach Edwards told BBC Sport.

"I think the more that people have been writing her off, the more I just knew she was going to put in a performance like this.

"I spoke to her after her record game [at Chelmsford] about her character and how that is one of her biggest attributes, and we saw that in abundance tonight.

"It was really lovely for her to have that performance going into the World Cup, but there were no doubts in our dressing room about Heather."

Knight added 137 for the fourth wicket in a flawless stand with Alice Capsey, who made 81 off 43. The pair toyed with India's wilting bowlers throughout, with Knight reverse-sweeping and scoring cannily behind square while Capsey struck beautifully straight down the ground.

It is easy to forget Capsey is still only 21 years old, having burst on to the English cricket scene as a teenager, and it was a knock that has surely cemented her place in Edwards' starting XI for the World Cup opener against Sri Lanka on 12 June.

Edwards said it was the best she had seen Capsey play, and praised her work ethic over the winter.

"To play the way she did from that position [38-3], I couldn't be prouder," Edwards added.

"We spoke to her at the start of the winter about the areas we wanted her to work on and she has worked so, so hard. Now she's bearing the fruits of that and there's nothing more satisfying than to win a game of cricket for England in that manner."

With so much speculation about who would make way for injured captain Nat Sciver-Brunt upon her return, Capsey was one player who seemed most vulnerable.

Questions were being asked about Knight, too, despite Edwards shutting down those concerns, but with such statement performances from both batters, opener Sophia Dunkley is now in the spotlight.

Dunkley has 98 runs in six T20 innings this summer with a top score of 26, and has been guilty of wasting promising starts.

Capsey has showed versatility with her runs coming at number four and at the top of the order over the course of the two series, which has also boosted her credentials.

"What's really positive around all this talk about who should be in our team is that there's competition for places," Edwards, 46, said.

"That was something I really wanted to create when I came into this role, but without it being a burden. And I don't think it is a burden, seeing the way they're playing - they know that if they want to stay in the team they've got to put in match-winning performances and Heather and Alice did that superbly today."

Edwards confirmed captain and star all-rounder Sciver-Brunt would bat at three in the upcoming T20 World Cup on home soil, but said it was unlikely she would be bowling in England's warm-ups against India and Australia in Cardiff next week.

That suggests Freya Kemp and Dani Gibson will both be needed in the XI with their seam bowling and power-hitting capabilities, while Edwards emphasised the need for flexibility in the batting line-up.

England were outplayed in the first T20 against India at Chelmsford before this excellent turnaround, with Edwards saying: "I don't think it could've gone any more perfectly.

"We were chasing a big total against one of the best teams in the world, and we did it convincingly with two of our players really standing up in a tough chase.

"I don't think I could be much happier in terms of ticking off the things we wanted to tick before we start the tournament."