India vs England Match Preview, 1st T20I

India and England are all set to lock horns in the first T20I in the five-match series at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22. These two teams faced each other in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in June. The Asian giants emerged victorious by 68 runs at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.

There are several destructive batters on both sides and fans can expect to see a lot of fours and sixes at the Eden Gardens, which has produced some high-scoring matches in recent years. Suryakumar Yadav and Jos Buttler will look to lead their respective sides from the front.

The fearsome England batters have a lot of experience of playing in these conditions due to their experiences in the Indian Premier League. However, their bowling attack will have to be on their toes as India have several batters who are in stunning form.

The Men in Blue won their previous T20I assignment, which was a four-match series against South Africa in the Rainbow Nation. They won three games and lost just one. Meanwhile, the Three Lions defeated the West Indies by a 3-1 margin in a five-match T20I series in the Caribbean in November.

IND vs ENG Match Details

Pitch Report

The picturesque Eden Gardens produces one of the finest batting surfaces in the country. During the Indian Premier League last year, batters enjoyed playing at the venue as a lot of runs were there for the taking. Punjab Kings chased down a 262-run target against Kolkata Knight Riders last year. This is the highest successful run-chase in T20 cricket. Defending totals is going to be difficult at this venue. The average first innings score is 157 in T20I cricket. However, with dew coming in, there is a possibility of a run-fest.

Also Check: Most runs in the series

IND vs ENG Probable Predicted XIs

India:

The spotlight will be on Mohammed Shami, who is set to make his international comeback after a 14-month injury layoff. The Bengal seamer will spearhead the attack with Arshdeep Singh for company. Hardik Pandya is expected to play the role of the third seamer and Nitish Kumar Reddy will support him. Newly-appointed T20 vice-captain Axar Patel will lead the spin-bowling attack with Varun Chakaravarthy on his side. Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma were the star performers against South Africa with the bat and they would want to continue from where they left.

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

Click Here: IND vs ENG Dream11 Prediction

England:

Phil Salt will hold the key for England at the top of the order. He played for Kolkata Knight Riders last season in the IPL and scored runs for fun at the Eden Gardens. He will look to get his team off to some exhilarating starts. England can unleash the formidable pace-bowling trio of Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Gus Atkinson, with Adil Rashid bringing his guile through the middle overs.

Phil Salt (WK), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (C), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood