Not Jos Buttler! England’s Brendon McCullum confirms a different wicketkeeper for India T20Is

England they are all set to start their long awaited white ball tour India with a five-match T20I seriesfrom January 22, 2025, at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

England’s new chapter in white-ball cricket under Brendon McCullum

This series is of special importance as it will mark the beginning of a new era Brendon McCullumEngland’s white ball coach recently. McCullum, who revolutionized England’s Test side with the “Baseball” approach, he is now tasked with injecting fresh energy into the team’s limited strategies.

After the T20Is, England will participate in a three-match ODI series as part of their preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025scheduled to be hosted in Pakistan later this year. The tour is expected to test England’s adaptability in subcontinental conditions and their ability to seamlessly transition between formats. For McCullum, this could be a golden opportunity to establish his philosophy in the shorter formats, building on England’s already formidable reputation in white-ball cricket.

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No Jos Buttler as England wicketkeeper for India T20Is

In a major development ahead of the T20I series, McCullum revealed this If Buttler, The England captain and one of the most versatile players in modern cricket, will not be donning the wicketkeeper’s gloves. This means that the responsibilities will be handed over to the only other option available in the template ie Phil Saltwho has impressed as a keeper-batsman in recent outings. This decision stems from a combination of tactical considerations and Buttler’s physical management.

Speaking during a pre-series press conference at Eden Gardens, McCullum stressed that this decision benefits the team in multiple ways. It reduces Buttler’s workload, allowing him to concentrate on his captaincy and batting responsibilities, while giving Salt a consistent role to grow as a reliable gloveman. Salt’s dual ability with bat and gloves adds balance to the squad, ensuring England remain flexible in their line-up configurations.

“It’s a little early for that conversation. Look, what he’s not going to do, he’s not going to keep wickets in this series. He’s going to catch them off the field and I think that’s very positive for us because it gives Josh a chance to the last word with the bowler and that relationship is built in the last second rather than 22 meters away. And we have great keeping options inside the side as well.” McCullum said.

“I think when it comes to the T20, I think we can expect to be near the top of the order. Working out the intricacies of that will work over the next 48 hours before we go into it. Look, we’ve got a really good team . We have a lot of flexibility within the group. We have a lot of options that we can go to. McCullum concluded.

READ also: IND vs ENG 2025: India’s best XI for T20I series against England