India-England T20I series to be a high-scoring affair, Says Aakash Chopra

The much-anticipated T20I series between India and England is set to commence on Wednesday at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Cricket fans can expect a thrilling “bat-vs-bat contest” as both teams boast formidable batting line-ups, according to former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra.

India enters the five-match series with a fearless batting arsenal that includes stars like Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, and Hardik Pandya. Meanwhile, England’s batting line-up is equally formidable, featuring explosive players such as skipper Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, and rising talent Jacob Bethell.

Speaking on Star Sports’ program Game Plan, Aakash Chopra emphasized the strength of both teams’ batting. “It is going to be a bat-vs-bat contest. Both sides have heavy-weight batting line-ups. If one team hits a six, the other can hit two. On the right pitch, we might witness both innings producing equal fireworks,” he said.

Chopra predicted a high-scoring series, with bowlers likely to face tough challenges. “Prepare for a run-fest. There will be a lot of runs scored. The tempo could be set right from the first match, and both teams will aim to outscore each other,” he added.

The former cricketer also noted the impact of playing styles, with both teams adopting a similar aggressive approach to T20 cricket. “Both sides are likely to field two or three specialist bowlers, relying heavily on all-rounders. This approach should lead to an intense clash and plenty of runs,” Chopra said.

Chopra highlighted the potential role of dew, especially with the series taking place in January. “The evening conditions might bring dew, making chasing slightly easier. In T20Is, chasing is already a preferred strategy, and dew could tilt the balance further in favor of the team batting second,” he explained.

Squads:

India Squad: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Dhruv Jurel, Harshit Rana

England Squad: Ben Duckett, Philip Salt(w), Jos Buttler(c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood, Brydon Carse, Jamie Smith, Rehan Ahmed.