The five-match T20I series begins on January 22 at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
India have announced their 15-man squad for the five-match T20I series against England, which will begin later this month. Mohammed Shami will return to the international arena after more than a year, for his last fixture in Indian colours came in November 2023 during the World Cup final.
Dhruv Jurel will be the second wicketkeeper batter and act as a backup for Sanju Samson, with Rishabh Pant not selected for the rubber. Pant was part of the T20 World Cup squad last year, but his exclusion might have to do with his middling returns in the format.
Sanju Samson will continue as the primary wicketkeeper batter after showing exceptional performances in T20Is last year, where he broke several records. With Yashasvi Jaiswal absent, Abhishek Sharma has retained his place and will continue at the top.
Several players couldn’t feature in the South Africa series last year due to the Border Gavaskar Trophy, but most first-choice players have been recalled. The likes of Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Harshit Rana are part of the T20I squad.
Meanwhile, Axar Patel, one of the key performers during India’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign last year, has been elevated to vice-captaincy. Despite the presence of Hardik Pandya, Axar’s promotion as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy is a bit surprising, but he also has previous experience leading a T20 side.
Since 2023, he has 327 runs at an average of 25.15 and a strike rate of 147.96 in 18 innings. Further, he also has 31 wickets at 19.90 runs apiece in 28 outings, with the best of 3/16, contributing consistently with both bat and ball.
Other performers from the South Africa series like Tilak Varma, and the ever-consistent Rinku Singh are other main batters in the team. Arshdeep Singh will continue leading the pace attack and bring variety to the table.
The five-match T20I series begins on January 22 at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. India will have an eye on the T20 World Cup next year and will test themselves against a strong England outfit.
India’s squad for T20I series against England: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel (vc), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk)
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