IND vs ENG: The highly anticipated 5-match T20I series between India and England is set to commence on January 22 at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Both teams will aim to kick off the series on a strong note, with India looking to capitalize on home advantage and England bringing their dynamic T20 lineup to the subcontinent.
Indian squad ahead of the T20I series against England
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel (VC), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, and Dhruv Jurel (wk).
Many promising key players like Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Mohammed Siraj have been rested to reduce their workload due to their participation in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The three biggest takeaways from India’s T20 squad for the T20I series vs. England are:
1: Mohammed Shami is back!
Veteran Indian seamer Mohammed Shami, who has been out of the Indian squad for more than a year, has been included in the upcoming T20I series against England. Shami last appeared in a T20I against England during the T20 World Cup semi-final in 2022. Since then, he has been on the path to recovery, featuring in various domestic matches for Bengal, steadily regaining his fitness and form.
His selection in the T20I squad suggests that strong performances could pave the way for his inclusion in the 2025 Champions Trophy squad.
2: Axar Patel as vice-captain over Hardik Pandya
Indian spin bowling all-rounder Axar Patel, who has been providing various important and crucial performances for Team India, has been made the deputy to captain Suryakumar Yadav. With Axar Patel’s recent appointment, Pandya has not held any formal leadership role in India’s T20 setup since the World Cup.
3: Nitish Kumar Reddy makes it into the T20I squad
Young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who impressed everyone with his stellar Test debut during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, has been added to the T20I squad. As per reports, he will be making the cut for the playing XI for the 5-match T20I series against England and hence would be next considered for the ODI series as well as the Champions Trophy.
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