ENG vs IND: No Place For Umran Malik In Wasim Jaffer's Playing XI For The First T20I Against England

Wasim Jaffer has chosen Avesh Khan over Umran Malik for India’s first T20I against England, which will take place on Thursday at the Rose Bowl (July 7).

A few first-choice players, including Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant, will be unavailable for selection for this match but will return for the second T20I. India, on the other hand, has received a boost in the form of skipper Rohit Sharma, who missed the recent Edgbaston Test, which the visitors lost by seven wickets.

Umran earned his debut in the two-T20I series against England after a stellar performance in the IPL 2022. The right-arm bowler bowled five overs and managed just one wicket at an expensive economy rate of 11.20. Avesh, on the other hand, played six consecutive T20Is before being rested for Ireland’s second encounter.

India Needs To Play Its Best Side Against England: Wasim Jaffer

Jaffer chose his best 11 for the first match, according to ESPNcricinfo. He stated:

“I’ll open with Rohit Sharma, who is coming back and will captain; then Ishan Kishan, who is in really good form, Deepak Hooda, again in very good form, Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4, Hardik Pandya No. 5, Dinesh Karthik No. 6, Harshal Patel No. 7, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal and then two fast-bowlers. I’ll definitely play Bhuvneshwar Kumar. I will also go with Avesh Khan because he was rested. I think Avesh will play and Harshal will play as an all-rounder.”

“I think now India needs to play its best 11 because you won’t get to play a lot of T20s and need to settle on a team combination. Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel and Bhuvneshwar Kumar – I think these three fast-bowlers are the best option,” Jaffer further added.

Wasim Jaffer’s India XI for 1st T20I vs England:

Also Read: IND vs WI: Irfan Pathan Slams BCCI’s Selection Policy After Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Get Rested For West Indies ODIs