India Announces Squad for T20I Series Against England: Mohammad Shami Returns After 14 Months

India Announces Squad for T20I Series Against England: In a much-awaited declaration, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released the Indian side for the five-match T20I series against England, to be played on January 22, 2025, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team, with several changes that include the most-awaited return of veteran pacer Mohammad Shami after a gap of 14 months.

Suryakumar Yadav continues to be the captain, while Axar Patel, a multi-talented all-rounder, has been appointed as the vice-captain for the series sponsored by IDFC First Bank. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announced the team, saying that it was a combination of experienced players and young talent.

Several key Test players, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant, have been rested to manage workloads ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. In return, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy are back in the bowling lineup to bring fresh energy.

Selectors have left out Ramandeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal, and Vijaykumar Vyshak, who were part of the team that sealed a 3-1 T20I series win in South Africa last November.

The inclusion of Mohammad Shami strengthens India’s pace attack, which also features promising bowlers like Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Hardik Pandya, a key all-rounder, adds depth and experience to the side.

The spin department will be spearheaded by Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi, with Washington Sundar offering a valuable all-round option.

INDIAN SQUAD FOR THE T20I SERIES AGAINST ENGLAND:

Suryakumar (C), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek, Tilak, Hardik, Rinku, Nitish Kumar, Axar (VC), Harshit, Arshdeep, Shami, Varun, Bishnoi, Sundar, Jurel (wk).

The five-match T20I series will be played at the following key venues:

1. First T20I: January 22 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata
2. Second T20I: January 25 at M. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
3. Remaining matches’ details to be announced soon.
4. The ODI squad for the following three-match series in February will be announced later.

Just a week before the ICC Champions Trophy, the T20I series against England is set to act as a significant ground for the preparation of Team India. Cricket fans would wait for Mohammad Shami to be back and would want Suryakumar Yadav to lead and entertain with the game. More updates will come soon.