IND vs ENG 2025: India's predicted XI against England for 1st T20I

The past several months have been a forgettable experience for India. A Test whitewash at home against New Zealand was something nobody would have predicted, bearing in mind the two sides' respective form coming into the three-match series. What followed Down Under only added salt to the wounds. A 3-1 loss to Australia to surrender the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after an entire decade led to increased criticism from former cricketers and media alike.

The limited-overs series against England comes as a much-needed refreshment for the Indian cricket fraternity. It also serves as a springboard for India to build momentum for the much-anticipated ninth edition of the Champions Trophy. The first T20I of the five-match series will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Meanwhile, the 15-member squad for the T20I series was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on January 11, 2025, 11 days ahead of the series opener. 

Here’s India’s predicted XI for the first T20I against England:

Openers - Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma

The past couple of series have seen a severe shift in Sanju Samson's confidence as well as batting performances in the shortest format. Ever since he was slotted in as an opener, Samson has hit the jackpot. The wicketkeeper-batter has amassed three T20I tons in his last five innings in the format. But Samson did not really perform as per expectations in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) for Kerala, and would hope to be back to his best in the T20Is against England.

After a lackluster start to the T20I series against the Proteas, Abhishek Sharma finally got going and registered a couple of substantial scores. The southpaw is coming off quite a successful SMAT and Vijay Hazare Trophy runs for Punjab. The contribution of Abhishek could be thought to be vital for India to get off to a flying start inside the powerplay.

Middle-order: Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh

Much like Samson, Tilak Varma was another batter who was in scintillating form against South Africa. The freedom with which he expressed himself after being promoted up the order was heartening to witness. It could be anticipated that Tilak bats at No. 3 in all of the five T20Is.  

Suryakumar Yadav has not been at his best in the 20-over format of late - both domestically and internationally. However, his ability to bounce back from the most adverse situations is undeniable, something which is an established characteristic now. The skipper could be expected to lead from the front.

It is widely recognised that Rinku Singh flourishes when provided with an adequate number of deliveries to prove his ruthless attacking prowess. According to the team combination, Rinku batting at No. 5 would be ideal for both himself and the team. Another benefit for the middle-order basher is a familiar venue due to his association with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. 

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All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel

Although almost out of contention when it comes to the red-ball setup, Hardik Pandya remains one of the most indispensable performers when it comes to limited-overs cricket, and T20Is in particular. The T20I series against Bangladesh in October was a glimpse of the sheer power he possessed when at full tilt. Him bowling regularly in the recent past comes as an added bonus for the Indian T20I group.

The recently-concluded edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy displayed the all-round dynamism of Nitish Kumar Reddy. The manner in which he batted in totally alien conditions against a top-notch opposition went on to show the immense confidence stacked up within himself. Quite young in his T20I career, the T20I series against England is set to be a valuable learning curve for the youngster.

Axar Patel has played enough T20Is for India to be labelled as a seasoned campaigner. Been appointed with the baton of the vice-captain for the T20I series against England, Axar could be expected to shoulder a lot of the bowling responsibility upon himself.  

Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakravarthy

Although Arshdeep Singh was a tad bit expensive in the series against South Africa, the variations he showcased were commendable. The left-arm pacer has had enough game time to test out different facets of his bowling in the domestic circuit. He has been in fine wicket-taking form in the SMAT and Vijay Hazare Trophy, and would be raring to ride the high wave in the first T20I as well as the remainder of the games against England. 

A potential international comeback of Mohammed Shami after 12-plus months of being out of the reckoning has been the talk of the town of late. Having last featured for India in the 2023 edition of the World Cup, the right-arm pacer would be pumped up to don the Blues again. It could be argued that he has had remarkable practice leading up to the tournament.    

The T20Is against England serve as the perfect opportunity for Varun Chakravarthy to further solidify his chances of making it as one of the lead spinners for the T20 World Cup squad next year. The mystery spinner's variations in Kolkata could prove to be quite a handful.

India’s predicted XI against England for the first T20I:

Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakravarthy