The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced India’s squad for the five-match T20I series against England, which is scheduled to start on January 22, later this month.
The BCCI announced India’s 15-man squad for the five-match affair. Mohammed Shami is returning to the national team after more than a year. The veteran pacer last played for the Men in Blue during the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia and has been out of action since.
Shami will likely get a test in the T20I games because the Indian selectors want him to be okay for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. Suryakumar Yadav, as was expected, is going to lead the side. However, an interesting change that has been made is the vice-captaincy for Axar Patel for the series ahead.
Dhruv Jurel is announced as India’s backup wicketkeeper, although Sanju Samson remains the first preference. Jurel last played in T20I during the away series against Zimbabwe. He has played just two T20Is and has not made a big impression with the bat yet.
Having played his Test debut in Australia, only time will tell if Harshit Rana will get a look in. He had been called up for the recent T20I series against Bangladesh but didn’t feature in that series. The upcoming five games could be an opportunity to make his T20I debut.
Varun Chakravarthy retains his place in the T20I team, as the mystery-spinner is on a roll. Having been the leading wicket-taker of the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League, he has continued to show his class with the ball after returning to the national side. He was recently in the form of his life in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as he took a fifer against Rajasthan in the pre-quarterfinal clash.
