India Playing 11 vs England - 1st T20I, England tour of India 2025

The five-match T20I series between India and England will begin this week. India and England 1st game will be played at Eden Gardens on Wednesday (January 22).

The upcoming series will be India's first T20I assignment of 2025 and they will be looking to start the series on a winning note. Having not lost a T20I series under new captain Suryakumar Yadav, the Men in Blue will be keen to extend the unbeaten run.

So as India gears up for the all-important first home game of the new year, we are looking at the India Playing 11 for the first T20I.

India Playing 11 vs England - England tour of India 2025:

Openers: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are set to be the openers in the India Playing 11 for the first T20I against England. Samson had a stunning outing in India's last T20I assignment which was the four-match series against South Africa.

While he registered two ducks in the series, he also hit two blistering centuries. Before that, Samson had also hit a century against Bangladesh. The wicketkeeper-batsman will be eyeing a similar performance against England as well.

He will also have a point to prove after being overlooked for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. While many expected him to be a part of the team, the selectors picked Rishabh Pant ahead of him.

Samson's opening partner Abhishek Sharma will also be looking to impress with the bat and cement his spot in the team. The southpaw recently impressed in the domestic circuit, hitting four fifty-plus scores in his last five List A innings.

Middle-order batsmen and allrounders: Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel

Captain Suryakumar Yadav will be keen to lead his team from the front as he eyes another series win. India have not lost a series since he replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain and the Mumbai star will be keen to do well in this series as well.

Tilak Varma is set to be the number four batter in India Playing 11 for the first T20I. The left-handed batsman starred with the bat in the series against South Africa, hitting unbeaten centuries in the last two games. He can create history by scoring another century in the upcoming game.

Rinku Singh will be another reliable option in the India Playing 11. The left-hander has not had too many chances in recent times and will be looking to make the most of it if he does get the opportunity to showcase his finishing skills against England.

The India Playing 11 is likely to have three designated openers - Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Nitish Reddy. All three players can change the course of a game with both bat and ball and they will be looking to start the series on a good note.

Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh

India are likely to have two specialist pacers and one spinner in their playing 11. Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami is set to return to the team as he looks to play his first game for India since November 2023.

Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh is likely to lead the attack while Varun Chakravarthy will be spearheading the spin attack.