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Nitish Reddy Returns, Abhishek To Open With Samson; India's Probable XI For 1st T20I vs ENG

Muskaan Bhatt

Indian star players, Sanju Samson, Mohd Shami, Hardik Pandya (Source: @RCBTweets,@chinmayshah28/X.com)Indian star players, Sanju Samson, Mohd Shami, Hardik Pandya (Source: @RCBTweets,@chinmayshah28/X.com)

The Men In Blue are all set to host England from 22 January for a multi-format series.England's Tour of India will begin with five T20Is starting from Wednesday. Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, India will lock horns with England at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

India, who played their last T20I against The Proteas in South Africa, is returning to the field after almost two months with a fresh and strong squad. In this article, we take a look at India's probable playing XI for the challenge against the Three Lions:

Samson And Abhishek To Open

India is expected to opt for the exact opening pair as the South African Tour, meaning that Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson will again bear the responsibility for opening for India. Sanju, who became the first man to slam three centuries in a calendar year, would be all set to take on the Englishmen. Samson has opened for the Indian T20I side in 12 innings, where he has amassed 471 runs at a strike rate 189.16. He has also slammed 44 boundaries and 32 maximums and is currently very close to surpassing legendary ex-player MS Dhoni in a unique record.

Meanwhile, Abhishek, an explosive batter known for his aggressive and 'in your face' style, is yet to make a significant mark in the T20I set-up. While he has scored 232 runs from nine innings, he would be focused on improving his game and being a horse for a long race. As seen during IPL, whenever the SunRisers Hyderabad star has been at the crease for a long time, his team has achieved more success and set more significant targets.

The number three berth will be claimed by Tilak Varma, who has performed remarkably well at the spot after his promotion. His stats at No.3 differ immensely from those when he has batted lower in the order. He has already slammed two centuries with a personal best of 120 not out internationally, and even in domestic cricket, Tilak has played exceptionally well in the recent times.

SKY, Pandya, Rinku & All Assemble In Middle Order

The middle-order will be bolstered by skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy and vice-captain Axar Patel. Both Surya and Pandya have remained in touch with the game's shortest format by playing in domestic tournaments. It must be highlighted that Pandya's stint with Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 gave glimpses of why he is regarded as India's best all-rounder. 231 runs in four matches, with 15 fours and 20 sixes, Pandya's accurate finishing skills were on display in all the clashes. He also picked up two wickets in three innings. 

While Indian star players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant rested from the T20I series, Nitish Kumar Reddy was included in the squad and is expected to play in the first T20I. In the past, Reddy's skills have shown a lot of similarities to Hardik Pandya. As the sole, trustable fast-bowling all-rounder for India, the Men in Blue, have seemingly unearthed the next Pandya in Nitish Reddy. 

Nitish Kumar Reddy- The Emerging Star

The star performer was the talk of the town in the recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy, where he scored 298 runs from 9 innings. Coming out to bat at No.8, Reddy acted as the anchor when the other batters flopped Down Under. The most unforgettable moment is Nitish's 114 off 189 deliveries in the fourth Test match, where, just like in other matches, he showed his ability to flourish under pressure and finish for India. 

Vice-Captain Axar Reporting On Duty

Axar's appointment as the deputy of SKY might have been unexpected, but it was not a wrong decision. An excellent all-rounder for India, Axar was a key part for India in their T20 World Cup winning campaign, where he slammed crucial 47 runs in the final against South Africa and also picked up a three-wicket haul against England in the semi-final. He is once again expected to be impactful for India against the Jos Buttler-led side.

On the bowling front, India would have gone with a two-spinners and two-pacers combination; however, looking at the surface of Eden Gardens, which would be batting-friendly and not too kind towards spinners, they are expected to go the other way. India would want to add batting depth, and with that in mind, they will go with two pacers and one spinner lineup.

Shami To Lead India's Bowling Attack 

While previous reports suggested Mohd Shami could be ruled out due to some troubles with his knee, those are misleading, and it is expected that the pacer would be fit to be a part of India's playing XI. Shami last played at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he emerged as India's highest wicket-taker, scalping 24 wickets in just seven innings. He was out of action for over a year as he recovered from surgery, but recently was seen preparing for a strong comeback in domestic tournaments like the Ranji Trophy, SMAT 2024, and Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he starred with the ball for Bengal.

Other than Shami, the bowling lineup would include star pacer Arshdeep Singh and spin-wizard Varun Chakravarthy, who will make the ball dance to their tunes. 

India's Probable Playing XI

Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy