IND vs ENG Match Preview- 1st T20I, England tour of India 2025

India and England will renew their T20I rivalry this week when they take on each other in the five-match T20I series. The highly-anticipated IND vs ENG series will be played from January 22. The first game is scheduled to take place at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The series will be India's first home assignment of the year and they will be keen to start it on a winning note. India are yet to lose a series since Suryakumar Yadav replaced Rohit Sharma as the T20I captain last year and will be the favorite to win the upcoming series as well.

The Men in Blue have not lost a T20I series against England since 2014. During this period, they have won four bilateral series against England and will be looking to extend their winning run. England, on the other hand, will be desperate to improve their record against India by winning the upcoming series.

So, with both the teams all set to lock horns against each other, here is the preview for the first IND vs ENG T20I.

IND vs ENG Match Preview- 1st T20I, England tour of India 2025:

IND vs ENG 1st T20I Date and Venue:

The upcoming first IND vs ENG Test will be played on Wednesday (January 22) at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The match will be played from 7:00 PM (IST).

Squads:

India:

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Mohd Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harisht Rana, Dhruv Jurel, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy and Washington Sundar.

England:

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

IND vs ENG key battles:

Mark Wood vs Sanju Samson:

This is one battle that could very well set the course of the game. Sanju Samson has been in stunning form in T20Is in recent times. The right-handed batsman has hit three centuries in his last five T20I innings. He hit his first T20I ton against Bangladesh at home before scoring two more in South Africa.

With form on his side, he will be eyeing another good outing with the bat in the upcoming game against England. An in-form Samson is more than capable of winning the game single-handedly for India.

England will be hoping that they get rid of Samson early and will be relying on their star pacer Mark Wood for his wicket. Wood can trouble Samson with his pace and bounce and will be keen to win the duel.

Arshdeep Singh vs Phil Salt:

Just like Samson, England opener Phil Salt is also capable of blowing any team away on his day. The England star showed his true potential in the IPL last year when he impressed one and all with his aggressive batting.

Salt showed that he is capable of delivering in Indian conditions especially at the Eden Gardens as he played for Kolkata Knight Riders. While he will be looking to make the most of the conditions, India will be relying on their star pacer Arshdeep Singh to stop the England opener.

Varun Chakravarthy vs Jos Buttler:

Jos Buttler needs a little introduction. He is undoubtedly one of the best white-ball batsmen in the world and will be keen to lead his team from the front in the upcoming series. Buttler has ample experience playing in Indian conditions and he will be looking to capitalize on it.

India, on the other hand, will be relying on spinner Varun Chakravarthy to stop Buttler. Chakravarthy plays for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and has good knowledge of the Eden Gardens surface. One of India's best T20 spinners if not the best, he will be keen to win his duel against the England captain.

IND vs ENG Key Players

IND - Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Arshdeep Singha, and Varun Chakravarthy will be the key players for India.

ENG - Phil Salt, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, and Adil Rashid will be the key players for England.

IND vs ENG Weather And Pitch Report:

There is absolutely no forecast for rain in Kolkata on Wednesday. So the IND vs ENG first T20I is set to take place without any major interruptions.

The temperature will be in the early 20s at the start of the game and will hover between 15-20 degrees Celsius as the game progresses and the pitch is likely to assist the batsmen more. Eden Gardens produced several high-scoring games in the IPL last season and the upcoming game is also expected to see a lot of fireworks.

Conclusion:

The stage is all set for a thrilling T20I series between two of the best teams in the world. Reigning world champions India will start the series as favourites while England will be keen to show that they are more than capable of beating any team irrespective of the conditions.