The England Cricket Board (ECB) has unveiled its Playing XI for the first T20I against India, scheduled to take place on January 22 at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The highly anticipated match will commence at 7 PM, marking the start of a five-match series between the two cricketing giants.
Phil Salt and Ben Duckett have been chosen to open the batting for England, with Salt taking on wicketkeeping duties in place of captain Jos Buttler. Jos Buttler will bat in the middle order alongside Harry Brook, who has been appointed vice-captain for the series, and Liam Livingstone, forming a solid core for England’s batting lineup.
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The team features Jacob Bethell, making a return to the playing XI after his last T20I appearance in November 2023. Bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton has also been included in the squad to bolster England’s lineup.
England’s bowling attack will be spearheaded by pacers Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, and Mark Wood, with Adil Rashid as the sole spinner in the team. The combination of speed and spin aims to provide the versatility needed to counter India’s batting strength.
Announcing the team on social media, the ECB highlighted the balance and firepower of the squad. “Firepower with bat and ball. Brendon McCullum has named the first white-ball team of his reign for tomorrow’s opening IT20 v India,” the ECB wrote on X.
The series will span five matches across prominent venues in India. Following the first match at Eden Gardens, the second T20I will take place on January 25 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The third match is set for January 28 at Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. The final two matches will be hosted at Maharashtra Cricket Stadium in Pune on January 31 and Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 2.
England Playing XI for the First T20I:
- Ben Duckett
- Phil Salt (WK)
- Jos Buttler (C)
- Harry Brook (VC)
- Liam Livingstone
- Jacob Bethell
- Jamie Overton
- Gus Atkinson
- Jofra Archer
- Adil Rashid
- Mark Wood