India and England are all set to lock horns in the first T20I in the five-match series at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22. These two teams faced each other in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in June. The Asian giants India emerged victorious by 68 runs at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.
India and England will renew their T20I rivalry this week when they take on each other in the five-match T20I series. The highly-anticipated IND vs ENG series will be played from January 22. The first game is scheduled to take place at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The series will be India’s first home assignment of the year and they will be keen to start it on a winning note. India are yet to lose a series since Suryakumar Yadav replaced Rohit Sharma as the T20I captain last year and will be the favorite to win the upcoming series as well.
IND vs ENG : Previous Performances
There are several destructive batters on both sides and fans can expect to see a lot of fours and sixes at the Eden Gardens, which has produced some high-scoring matches in recent years. Suryakumar Yadav and Jos Buttler will look to lead their respective sides from the front.
The fearsome England batters have a lot of experience of playing in these conditions due to their experiences in the Indian Premier League. However, their bowling attack will have to be on their toes as India have several batters who are in stunning form. The Men in Blue won their previous T20I assignment, which was a four-match series against South Africa in the Rainbow Nation. They won three games and lost just one. Meanwhile, the Three Lions defeated the West Indies by a 3-1 margin in a five-match T20I series in the Caribbean in November.
The Men in Blue have not lost a T20I series against England since 2014. During this period, they have won four bilateral series against England and will be looking to extend their winning run. England, on the other hand, will be desperate to improve their record against India by winning the upcoming series. So, with both the teams all set to lock horns against each other it looks with an exciting series up the next few weeks.
IND vs ENG : Head to Head
| Matches | 24 |
| Won by India | 13 |
| Won by England | 11 |
| Draw | 07 |
| No Result | 00 |
| First-ever Fixture | September 19, 2007 |
| Most-recent Fixture | June 27, 2024 |
IND vs ENG : Pitch Report
The picturesque Eden Gardens produces one of the finest batting surfaces in the country. During the Indian Premier League last year, batters enjoyed playing at the venue as a lot of runs were there for the taking. Punjab Kings chased down a 262-run target against Kolkata Knight Riders last year. This is the highest successful run-chase in T20 cricket. Defending totals is going to be difficult at this venue. The average first innings score is 157 in T20I cricket. However, with dew coming in, there is a possibility of a run-fest.
The surface at Eden Gardens in Kolkata is expected to be a batting paradise. It has been one of the most high-scoring venues in the IPL of late; so we can expect the batters to run riot by using its pace, bounce and a lightning-quick outfield.
Having said that, don’t rule out the possibility of the new ball bowlers getting a hint of seam movement and the spinners turning the ball slightly in the middle overs. Dew will likely play a key role, making things difficult for the bowlers in the second half. So, the toss-winner will likely bowl first.
The average first-innings total during IPL 2024 was 198 at Eden Gardens and four out of seven matches were won by chasing sides. Win the toss and bowl will be the obvious option for the captains, especially considering the dew factor. However, teams batting first have also won three out of four times in T20Is played at Eden Gardens since 2021. There is absolutely no forecast for rain in Kolkata on Wednesday. So the IND vs ENG first T20I is set to take place without any major interruptions.
The temperature will be in the early 20s at the start of the game and will hover between 15-20 degrees Celsius as the game progresses and the pitch is likely to assist the batsmen more. Eden Gardens produced several high-scoring games in the IPL last season and the upcoming game is also expected to see a lot of fireworks.
IND vs ENG : Big Picture : On familiar territory, India and England look to test their power game
Familiarity breeds success. England are keen to familiarize themselves with their revamped squad under the guidance of now all-formats coach Brendon McCullum. Meanwhile, India, well-versed in the demands of the T20 format, have redefined their approach, yielding impressive results. Both Phil Salt and McCullum understand what it takes to perform at Eden Gardens, as does skipper Jos Buttler, whose last outing on this ground saw him score a match-winning century for the Rajasthan Royals.
Varun CV doesn’t have to familiarize himself bowling here, nor does Mohammed Shami or the rest of the Indian bowling unit. Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson and Rinku Singh are familiar with Eden Gardens, having delivered heroic performances at various moments, alongside other Indian batters who are equally attuned to the synergy and intensity required at this iconic venue.
The expectations are clear. High-scoring games have become standard in T20 cricket, and Eden Gardens is no exception. During the previous edition of the Indian Premier League, the 200-run mark was crossed eight times at this venue, including a record-breaking chase by the Punjab Kings, who overhauled the Kolkata Knight Riders’ massive total of 261.
At the international level, India has been piling up massive scores, surpassing the 200-run mark seven times since the T20 World Cup – more than any other team. During this period, India’s collective batting strike rate of 158.28 ranks as the second-highest among full-member sides, with England following at 151.66. Both teams excel at scoring big, and the message from their management will be just that: “Smash”. And for the Eden crowd, familiarity = entertainment.
IND vs ENG : Vital Stats that matters
– Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav have scored a combined 4304 runs in T20 cricket since 2024, with 9 centuries and 26 fifties collectively, with a combined strike rate of 167.53
– Among full-member teams, Arshdeep Singh is the highest wicket-taker among pacers in T20Is since 2024, with his 36 wickets coming in 18 innings at a strike rate of 10.8
– In IPL 2024, spinners had an economy rate of 8.73 at Eden Gardens whereas the pacers had an economy of 11.2
– Bowling in the powerplay has been an area of concern for England. Since January 2024, England have had an economy rate of 9.14 in the 1-6 over period, which is the highest among full-member teams. They have also picked up only 27 wickets in this phase, which is the second least.
IND vs ENG : Team Previews for India and England
India :
The spotlight will be on Mohammed Shami, who is set to make his international comeback after a 14-month injury layoff. The Bengal seamer will spearhead the attack with Arshdeep Singh for company. Hardik Pandya is expected to play the role of the third seamer and Nitish Kumar Reddy will support him.
Newly-appointed T20 vice-captain Axar Patel will lead the spin-bowling attack with Varun Chakravarthy on his side. Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma were the star performers against South Africa with the bat and they would want to continue from where they left.
Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India have a robust squad comprising several outright match-winners throughout the lineup. While Sanju Samson forms an explosive top-order with Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, the presence of Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh and Nitish Reddy adds firepower to the entire lineup.
However, with Jasprit Bumrah absent and Mohammed Shami coming from a long injury layoff, India will primarily rely on the in-form Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy to spearhead their bowling unit.
India Probable Playing XI : Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami (if not fit then Harshit Rana), Varun Chakravarthy
England :
Buttler confirmed that Ben Duckett will open with Phil Salt, with the latter also set to keep wickets. England announced their playing XI a day before the match, with Jamie Smith, Rehan Ahmed, Brydon Carse and Saqib Mahmood being the exclusions.
On the other hand, England, led by Jos Buttler, can give a power-hitting competition to the home side, thanks to their incredible batting unit. The likes of Phil Salt, Buttler and Harry Brook are expected to be England’s key batter, while the eyes will also be on Jacob Bethell and Liam Livingstone who form the English middle order.
Coming to England’s bowling department, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood will be the real threats to the Indian lineup, with the experienced Adil Rashid leading the spin attack.
England Confirmed Playing XI : Ben Duckett, Phil Salt (wk.), Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
IND vs ENG Fantasy XI :
IND vs ENG : Key Battles between players
Mark Wood vs Sanju Samson:
This is one battle that could very well set the course of the game. Sanju Samson has been in stunning form in T20Is in recent times. The right-handed batsman has hit three centuries in his last five T20I innings. He hit his first T20I ton against Bangladesh at home before scoring two more in South Africa.
With form on his side, he will be eyeing another good outing with the bat in the upcoming game against England. An in-form Samson is more than capable of winning the game single-handedly for India.
England will be hoping that they get rid of Samson early and will be relying on their star pacer Mark Wood for his wicket. Wood can trouble Samson with his pace and bounce and will be keen to win the duel.
Arshdeep Singh vs Phil Salt:
Just like Samson, England opener Phil Salt is also capable of blowing any team away on his day. The England star showed his true potential in the IPL last year when he impressed one and all with his aggressive batting.
Salt showed that he is capable of delivering in Indian conditions especially at the Eden Gardens as he played for Kolkata Knight Riders. While he will be looking to make the most of the conditions, India will be relying on their star pacer Arshdeep Singh to stop the England opener.
Varun Chakravarthy vs Jos Buttler:
Jos Buttler needs a little introduction. He is undoubtedly one of the best white-ball batsmen in the world and will be keen to lead his team from the front in the upcoming series. Buttler has ample experience playing in Indian conditions and he will be looking to capitalize on it.
India, on the other hand, will be relying on spinner Varun Chakravarthy to stop Buttler. Chakravarthy plays for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and has good knowledge of the Eden Gardens surface. One of India’s best T20 spinners if not the best, he will be keen to win his duel against the England captain.
IND vs ENG : Match Prediction
As these two cricketing powerhouses gear up to face each other, on flat pitches that are likely to be offered, records could be broken and new benchmarks set. Considering India have a more robust lineup and have won nine of their last ten T20Is, we reckon the hosts will emerge victorious in this match.