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India vs England 1st T20I: Base Team For Dream 11 Fantasy Contests For Match 1

Debashis Sarangi∙ Updated: Jan 25 2025, 10:25 AM

IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Base Team [Source: @CricCrazyJohns, @Rizwan_pti_ik/X]IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Base Team [Source: @CricCrazyJohns, @Rizwan_pti_ik/X]

On Wednesday, India will lock horns with England in the first T20 International of the five-match series. The much-anticipated clash is scheduled at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. 

The hosts will be captained by Suryakumar Yadav, who is expected to play a crucial role along with Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh. Meanwhile, England, led by Jos Buttler, have already announced their playing XI for the first T20I vs India. Meanwhile,

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So, as two competitive outfits get ready to take on each other, let's analyse and find out the base dream11 team for the first T20I between England and India. Before that, we must have a look at potential playing conditions at Eden Gardens. 

IND vs ENG 1st T20I: Eden Gardens Kolkata Pitch Report

The surface at Eden Gardens in Kolkata will likely offer batting-friendly conditions. There could be some seam movement and extra bounce to the new ball bowlers, but overall, the conditions will be excellent for batting. Dew is likely to play a key role here; so, you may back the chasing side to win this match. 

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IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream 11 Top Picks

Wicketkeepers: Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler

  • India's explosive opener Sanju Samson enjoyed stellar success in T20Is last year, scoring 436 runs at an average of 43.60 and a strike rate of 180.17. Although Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson might challenge him with the new ball, Samson can capitalise on the track's pace and bounce if he sees through the first few overs. 
  • England captain Jos Buttler showcased remarkable form in T20Is last year, averaging 42 and striking at 164.41. He will bat at number three and hence won't likely face the new ball. So, we can expect him to exploit the Indian bowling attack on Kolkata's batting-friendly pitch. 

Batters: Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Jacob Bethell

  • India's number three and four, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav, might be the real threats to the English bowling. These two batters have been absolute champions for MI in IPL and you can't afford to drop them from your team on a batting paradise. 
  • On the other hand, Jacob Bethell is the only left-handed batter in England's middle order. He is excellent T20I form and strikes at 145.97 against left-arm off spin and right-arm finger spin in the shortest format. So, he might dominate Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy in middle overs. 

All-Rounder: Hardik Pandya

  • Hardik Pandya is undoubtedly the solitary must pick from the all-rounder's category. It will be a batting-friendly pitch in Kolkata and Hardik can emerge as India's valuable asset with bat and ball. 

Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Jofra Archer

  • Arshdeep Singh is India's lead seamer and will likely operate across all three phases. Meanwhile, Jofra Archer has bagged the second most wickets for England since 2023 and could be instrumental for the visiting side. 

IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Base Team


Wicketkeepers: Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson
Batters: Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Jacob Bethell
All-rounder: Hardik Pandya
Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Jofra Archer

Risky Picks: Phil Salt, Varun Chakravarthy, Abhishek Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Axar Patel, Mark Wood.