Rinku Singh Out, Shami Replaces Jasprit Bumrah; India's Strongest XI For 1st T20I vs England

Mohammed Shami and Rinku Singh [Source: @ravipr04, @SPORTYVISHAL/x.com]

India have announced their squad for the five-match T20I series against England. A few surprises have been revealed in the team. The white ball series against England will provide a preparatory ground for the Indian team for the Champions Trophy. A few of the players in the T20I side might be a part of the team that travels for the CT 2025. 

Keeping all the factors in mind, here is a look at the strongest XI of India for the first T20I vs England.

Sanju Samson And Abhishek Sharma

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma were seen opening the innings for the Indian team in the last T20I series. The duo will be seen playing the same role against England. 

Nitish Reddy Replaces Rinku Singh In The Middle Order

Nitish Reddy has shown he can bat under pressure during the recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy. Besides the batter's temperament, his ability to provide strong finishes was also shown during his last appearance in the format. The fact that Nitish Reddy can also bowl a few overs with the ball makes him the better choice over Rinku Singh. 

Besides Rinku losing his spot, the rest of the middle order is expected to stay the same.

Shami Comes In The Bowling Attack

Mohammed Shami has shown that he is fully fit and ready to go in the domestic limited-overs contests. As he has returned to the side, he is expected to walk straight into the playing XI. Along with Shami, Arshdeep Singh will be the other pacer.

Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakravarthy will be India's lead spinners. Besides these two, Axar Patel will be the dynamic presence who will contribute to the spin department and also with the bat. 

India's Strongest XI For 1st T20I vs England

Sanju Samson
Abhishek Sharma
Tilak Varma
Surykumar Yadav (c)
Hardik Pandya
Nitish Reddy
Axar Patel
Varun Chakravarthy
Ravi Bishnoi
Arshdeep Singh
Mohammed Shami

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