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

India and England will renew their T20I rivalry this week when they clash in the five-match T20I. series. The much awaited 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 T20I captain last year and will be favorites to win the upcoming series as well.

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

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

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

IND vs ENG 1st T20I Date & Venue:

The upcoming IND vs ENG first test will be played on Wednesday (January 22) at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The match will be played from 19:00 (IST).

Equipment:

India:

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Sanju Samson, Abhishek SharmaTilak 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 RashidSaqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood

Key Battles IND vs ENG:

Mark Wood vs Sanju Samson:

This is a battle that could set the tone for the game. Sanju Samson has been in impressive 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 hoping for another good outing with the bat in the next game against England. An in-form Samson is more than capable of single-handedly winning the match for India.

England will hope to get rid of Samson early and will rely on their star pacer Mark Wood for their wicket. Wood can trouble Samson with his pace and bounce and will be ready to win the duel.

Arshdeep Singh vs Phil Salt:

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

Salt proved that he is capable of delivering in Indian conditions, especially at the Eden Gardens, while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders. While they will look to make the most of the conditions, India will rely on their star pacer Arshdeep Singh to stop England’s 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 extensive experience playing in Indian conditions and will look to capitalize on it.

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

Key players IND vs ENG

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

ENGLISH – Phil Salt, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid will be England’s key players.

IND vs ENG Timing and Pitch Report:

There is absolutely no rain forecast in Kolkata on Wednesday. So, the first T20I IND vs ENG will be played without any major disruptions.

The temperature will be in the early 20s at the start of the game and will settle into the 15-20s as the game progresses.Pitching is likely to help hitters 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 set for an exciting 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 prove that they are more than capable of beating any team regardless of the conditions.