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Sanju Samson To Open, SKY At 4; No Shami? India's Strongest XI For 1st T20I vs England

Debashis Sarangi

Samson and SKY will be India's key players [Source: @kaustats, @@surya_14kumar/X]Samson and SKY will be India's key players [Source: @kaustats, @@surya_14kumar/X]

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After securing a clinical 3-1 victory over South Africa, India are gearing up to take on England in a five-match series on home soil. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India have announced a formidable squad, which can give the Englishmen a run for their money in the series. 

Apart from the skipper, India have several match-winners, especially Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Reddy and Arshdeep Singh, who will play a significant role for them. As the Men in Blue are set to take on the Englishmen, let's analyse and find out their strongest playing XI for the first T20I at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. 

Samson, Abhishek, Tilak To Form India's Explosive Top Order

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma should be India's openers for the first T20I against England. The dynamic batting duo enjoyed stellar success in South Africa and can provide India with rollicking starts in the T20I series. The duo should be followed by Hyderabad's swashbuckling batter Tilak Varma, who hammered two belligerent tons in the South Africa T20Is. 

Surya, Pandya, Rinku, Nitish To Spearhead India's Middle Order

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav should bat at his preferred number four position, where he has struck 1595 runs at an average of 45.57 and a strike rate of 169.68. Ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya should be used as India's prime finisher with Rinku Singh and Nitish Reddy. 

India had Ramandeep Singh as their number seven in South Africa, but with Nitish returning, the Hyderabad all-rounder will likely replace the KKR star as a multi-dimensional player down the order. 

No Place For Shami, Arshdeep To Lead Bowling Attack With Axar And Chakravarthy

According to a PTI report, India's veteran pacer Mohammed Shami limped after bowling for around 45 minutes in an intense net session ahead of the Kolkata T20I. Shami had straps on his left knee and should be rested in the first T20I if he is not fully fit. 

Considering Bumrah's Champions Trophy participation is in jeopardy, Shami is expected to lead India's pace attack in the tournament. Therefore, if he indeed needs more time to recover, India should rest him and preserve him for the Champions Trophy. 

If Shami is rested, Harshit Rana should spearhead the pace attack with Arshdeep, with Varun Chakravarthy and all-rounder Axar Patel playing as the frontline spinners. 

India's Strongest Playing XI For 1st T20I vs England (If Shami is injured)

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