SKY To Drop 'This' Spinner; Shami In? India's Probable XI For 2nd T20I Vs England

Muskaan Bhatt

In Frame: Suryakumar Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy after the dismissal of Liam Livingstone (Source: AP Photos)In Frame: Suryakumar Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy after the dismissal of Liam Livingstone (Source: AP Photos)

India kicked off their five-match T20I series against England with victory as they claimed a thumping 7-wicket win in the first match. The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk now awaits for the second shown-down between these two enemies. The second T20I is all set to take place on 25 January, Friday.

The Curious Case Of Shami's Absence Vs England

The first T20I witnessed a surprise exclusion as Suryakumar Yadav, announced that Mohammad Shami would be missing out on the game, during the toss. His exclusion raised eyebrows, with several potential reasons behind the decision. One key factor could be his fitness concerns, especially following his recovery from a heel injury and knee swelling in 2024. 

Despite being called up after a long break, Shami was seen with knee braces during practice, suggesting he might not be fully fit. Additionally, there were reports of a possible hamstring strain during training, forcing the management to make last-minute changes to the playing XI. 

While the England series is an important occasion, India must be cautious about managing Shami's workload with the upcoming Champions Trophy  2025 and hence, the player could have been not included. It is expected that Mohd. Shami, the pace sensation, would also be missing the second T20I and India would continue with the same bowling combination. 

Washington Sundar To Replace Ravi Bishnoi?

Hence, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi will be the three bowlers Team India would opt for. Although unlikely but India could include Washington Sundar as Bishnoi's replacement, since the home-boy has better stats at this venue.

Arshdeep provided India with a good start as he removed Phil Salt and Ben Duckett in no time. He also became the highest T20I wicket-taker for India. Varun Chakravarthy also grabbed attention with his performance as he scalped three wickets for just 23 runs becoming the highest wicket-taker for the team. Ravi Bishnoi was the most expensive bowler for the Indian side and also went wicketless, and would be focusing on exploiting the spin-friendly conditions of Chennai. 

Samson, Abhishek and Tilak On Top

The batting line-up of the Men In Blue, would witness Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma open for India once again. The duo has been a successful pair in the past along with Tilak Varma at No.3. Abhishek was the star, blasting the second-fastest T20I half-century for India against England off just 20 balls. His explosive 79 off 34 balls, alongside Tilak Varma’s composed knock, set up an easy finish and hence, will continue with their role.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav departed for a three-ball duck and would be eager to comeback stronger at Chepauk. Hardik Pandya, helped Tilak finish things off and also proved useful with the ball by claiming two wickets. He would gear up to use his all-round skills to the fullest in the highly-awaited clash. While India's vice-captain Axar Patel did not get an opportunity to bat, he did pick up two crucial wickets in the first T20I. He would also be an important player in the upcoming match with Nitish Kumar Reddy.

India's Probable Playing XI Vs England For 2nd T20I

Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi