India vs England ENG in IND, 5 T20Is, 2025, Full Score Card

OUT! RUN OUT! Adil Rashid misses but Sanju Samson doesn't and England are bundled out for 132 on the final delivery on the inning. Hardik Pandya goes pace on and bangs it in a bit wide of the off stump. Rashid looks to fetch and slog it away across the line but is beaten for pace and bounce. The batters try to sneak in a bye but Samson keeps his cool and under-arms the ball onto the stumps. Mark Wood is run out by a long way!

WIDE! Poor delivery! Too full and a bit too wide outside off, slower as well, Adil Rashid leaves it alone.

Takes pace off again and bowls it on a good length wide outside off, Mark Wood hangs back to go big but mistimes it wide of mid off for a single.

Mark Wood is the last man in for England!

OUT! CAUGHT! Straight up and taken! Hardik Pandya bangs it in halfway down the pitch and gets the line wide of off stump as well. This one sticks in the pitch a bit and Jofra Archer has to really reach for it. Archer goes through with the attempted uppercut but miscues it in front of square on the off side. Suryakumar Yadav at covers takes a simple catch and England lose their 9th wicket.

Pitches it up full and well outside off again, Jofra Archer stays deep in the crease and toe-end the lofted shot over mid off and picks up a couple of runs more.

WIDE! Untidy stuff so far from Pandya! Slower ball, bowled short again and pushed well outside the line of off stump for a wide.

FOUR! Lucky but they all count! Banged in well short and outside off, it seemed like the leg cutter as well, Archer steps out to go after it and gets a top edge over short third and into the fence for a boundary.

Good running! Bowled slow and short, wide of the off stump, Jofra Archer stands upright and slaps the ball away in front of sweeper cover for a couple of runs. Hardik Pandya feels Abhishek Sharma should have kept it down to a single there.

Hardik Pandya (3-0-31-1) to wrap up the first inning.

Pitched-up delivery, bowled very full and around off, Aarcher fetches it and heaves it away in between long on and deep mid-wicket for a single.

Appeal for LBW but the impact seemed outside off! Bowled from wide of the crease and angled back in a long way, nailing it in the blockhole. Jofra Archer gets across the off stump but fails to heave it away and gets hit on the back boot. Arshdeep Singh seems interested and they eventually do take the review. The third umpire is called in and there's nothing on UltraEdge and Ball Tracking does show that the impact was well outside off. NOT OUT!

Slower one, misses the yorker on middle and serves a full toss instead, Rashid swats it without much timing, up and over mid on for just a single.

Comes from around the stumps now, and digs in a proper bumper, angling it in from around off, Adil Rashid ducks under it well.

FOUR! Beautifully done by Adil Rashid! Slower delivery, bowled on a good length and wide outside off, Rashid goes deep in the crease and waits well before lofting it over the cover region for a boundary.

Pitches the ball up around off, Jofra Archer hangs back in the crease and goes after it with an open stance, hammering it to covers for a single.

Arshdeep Singh comes back to finish his spell. 3-0-10-2 so far.

Flatter one, sliding on with the arm and onto middle and leg, Rashid gets pegged back but manages to keep it out.

Nice and full, flighted up wide outside off, Jofra Archer leans across and strokes it through the cover region for another single.

Bowled shorter and over middle, Rashid hops onto the back door and pushes it through mid on for one more.

Flatter one, pushed through on middle and cutting back in, nudged away to fine leg off the inside edge down for a single.

Tossed up, on a length and around middle, slogged away to deep square leg for a single by Rashid.

Holds it back a touch and floats it up on a nagging length around off, Adil Rashid watchfully keeps it out.

A dot to end and Varun Chakravarthy finishes with figures of 4-0-23-3! Nagging length, flighted up on the stumps, Jofra Archer leans right on to block but gets hit on the pads instead.

Drags the length back again and Rashid just works it off the back foot through the mid-wicket region for a single.

Bowled fuller now and right at the stumps, Rashid tucks it away to mid-wicket.

Bowled on a shorter length and over leg, Adil Rashid looks to press back and nudge it away but fails to do so.

Adil Rashid is in at number 10.

OUT! TAKEN! Nitish Kumar Reddy with yet another fine catch and Varun Chakravarthy has his revenge. This is fired in short again but quicker and at the batter's body. Jos Buttler is hurried a bit as he looks to pull off the back foot once again and ends up pulling it over square leg. Reddy charges in from the deep and dives in front to take a fine low catch with both hands and the same is confirmed on the replays. A huge blow for England as Buttler's fine knock of 68 comes to an end.

SIX! Jos Buttler seems to be batting on a different pitch out there. On the shorter side and angled in at the body, Buttler is quick to rock back and backs away to smash the pull over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Jofra Archer walks in at number 9. Also, a change in bowling as Varun Chakravarthy comes back on. He is 3-0-16-2 so far.

OUT! STUMPED! Never looked like settling down did Gus Atkinson and England lose their 7th wicket. Atkinson is early to charge down the track and Axar Patel sees him coming, drags the length back and fires it in flat and wide. Atkinson ends up just running past the ball and it is an easy stumping for Sanju Samson behind the stumps. Gus Atkinson goes for 2 (13).

FOUR BYES! Beats everyone and everything! Fired in full and quick on middle and leg, this one slides in with the angle, Gus Atkinson brings out the heave but misses. The ball goes past the leg stump, evading the keeper and into the fine leg fence.

On the shorter side and around off, Atkinson stays put and punches it away straight to covers. The pressure keeps building up.

Just a bit shorter now, angled in over middle, Atkinson plays all over it and gets hit on the pads. Another dot!

Flatter delivery, on a length and around off, Atkinson tries to be cheeky and goes for the reverse sweep but gets an inside edge off the pads to point.

Can't find the gap! Length ball, sliding back in from outside off, Gus Atkinson backs away and drives it straight to cover.

On middle and on a length, Gus Atkinson steers it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Dishes out another googly, at the pads, Gus Atkinson tries to smash the pull shot but gets it off the bottom end of the bat. Falls near the strip.

A flatter wrong'un on a good length, turning back in, Gus Atkinson rocks back and knocks it back to the bowler.

Slightly outside off, on a good length, Gus Atkinson hits it to short cover off the toe-end.

A googly, on middle, Gus Atkinson works it off the inside half to mid-wicket.

Slower through the air, drifting on the pads on a length, Buttler hangs back and steers it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Flat and full, around off, pushed towards cover.

This is an arm ball, angling in from outside off. Buttler punches it to long on for a single.

An in-drifter, on the pads, worked through square leg for a single.

Gus Atkinson is the new batter in.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Axar gets his first and England lose their sixth wicket! Slows it up, does Axar and drops a fuller-length delivery, on the stumps. Jamie Overton gets low and tries to hit it aerially straight down the ground. But tries to hit it too hard and loses his shape and does not quite reach to the pitch of the ball. As a result, the ball slices off his bat and balloons up in the air. It hangs up for a long time and sails towards the deep cover region. Nitish Kumar Reddy there takes a safe catch in the deep.

Full and at the stumps. Overton gets ahead with a good stride out, and blocks it.

Axar is back on! OH NEARLY CAUGHT! Short and angling in on off, Jos Buttler mistimes it straight and lobs it towards the left of the bowler. Axar Patel stretches his left hand out to pluck it but it just goes wide of his fingers for a single at long off.

On that in-between length, on middle, Jos Buttler tucks it across to deep mid-wicket for a single to end the over.

FOUR! In the gap! Precise placement from the English skipper! Not that all a short ball, but around off, flat and quick. Jos Buttler gets everything - width, height and pace as he rocks back and cuts it past cover for a boundary.

Right in front of the stumps, slow and full, Jos Buttler blocks it forward.

FOUR! SHOT! Good aggressive intent! Bishnoi drops it around off, a half-volley, there to be hit, Jos Buttler leans on it and smashes it wide of long off for a cracking boundary. The long off fielder stands no chance to cut it out. That's hit with brute force.

Length, flat and on off, Jos Buttler slaps it hard, but straight to mid off.

A slider, dragged down on a length, Jamie Overton clips it to deep backward square leg for a single.

Back of a length around off and middle. Overton tucks it off his hips to deep fine leg for a single.

Jamie Overton is in at number 7.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND CAUGHT! Hardik bangs it hard onto the surface, around middle and leg, nipping back in. Jacob Bethell stands tall, weighs on the back foot, and tries to pull it behind the deep mid-wicket region. However, the line is too close and hence, Bethell doesn't generate enough timing to power it behind the ropes. It goes flat and straight into the safe hands of Abhishek Sharma stationed at deep mid-wicket. A scratchy inning comes to end for Jacob Bethell! Half of England's side is in the dugout now. Also, Hardik moves into the 90s with respect of wickets in the T20Is.

Seeing Bethell shuffling outside leg to give himself some room, Hardik rolls his fingers and bowls it closer to the batter, following him. Jacob Bethell misses to work it through the off side and misses. The ball passes threateningly over the stumps.

Back of a length, on off, Jacob Bethell stabs it onto the surface.

Oh, almost chopped on! On fourth stump, length, Jacob Bethell tries to cut it away but ends up getting an inside edge. It bounce past the leg stump and runs down to deep fine for two.

Hardik is back into the attack now! Bowls a slower bumper, nipping back into the batter, Jos Buttler waits and pulls it down to the leg side for a quick single. FIFTY NUMBER 26 FOR JOS BUTTLER IN THE T20IS! He has held one end masterfully and will look to see his side through this innings.

Overpitched, flat and on off, quicker at 102.4 kph, Jos Buttler drills it down to long off for a single.

Slower, on the stumps, Jos Buttler sits to slog but inside edges it to the leg side.

WIDE! A googly, going down leg, Buttler misses to steer to the leg side. Wide called.

A drag-down slider, on middle, Jos Buttler hangs back and punches it to cover.

Touch short and around off, Jacob Bethell slashes it to the cover region for a single.

Pushed through, fuller and on middle and leg, Buttler inside edges it to the mid-wicket region. They collect a single by the time Bishnoi scoots and collects the ball.

Short of a good length, on off, Jacob Bethell hits it a bit uppish while dragging it from outside off. Gets a single at long on.

WIDE! A wrong'un, flat and going outside the tramline, Jacob Bethell reaches to punch through covers but misses. Wided.

DRINKS BREAK! Quite a pacy first ten overs in this season opener! Jos Buttler and Brook had formed a solid stand for the third wicket, but their momentum was halted by Varun Chakravarthy's double whammy. While Jos Buttler is still out there batting fearlessly, England will look upon him to bat till the end and help them post a commanding total. All they need is a resolute and resistant stand in these mid-overs. While for India, a couple of more wickets from here will surely put them in a commanding position. Meanwhile, the ropes are brought in to clear up the dew from the ground.

On the shorter side and at the stumps, punched away off the back foot through mid on for a run. England are 74/4 at the halfway mark.

Pushed through quicker and around leg, Jacob Bethell brings out the reverse flick but falls over a bit while going for it. The ball just clips the gloves and the half appeal for LBW is quickly turned down.

Tossed up fuller now and on middle and leg, Buttler heaves it away down to long on for a single.

Dropped short and outside off, Jos Buttler cuts it firmly and in front of square towards the deep but Rinku Singh is quick to cut it off and keeps it down to a couple of runs.

Short ball, angled in over middle, Jacob Bethell gets inside the line to ramp but misses. The ball goes off the keeper and to short fine leg as the batters pick up a bye.

NOT OUT! Sharp glovework from Sanju Samson but Jacob Bethell escapes by the barest of margins. Varun Chakravarthy comes around the wicket and tosses it up, not all that full and Bethell is drawn forward. The ball just turns away and beats the outside edge as Samson whips off the bails. The third umpire is called in and confirms that there was some part of the back foot inside the crease. Maybe if Samson had waited a fraction more because Bethell did leave the crease after the bails were taken off.

Is that stumped out? The TV umpire has been summoned to check it. Bethell misses out on the outside edge and Samson collects it behind the wickets. Dislodges the bails in a jiffy. It is touch and go, but the umpire reckons that Bethell's back foot is dragged just inside the popping crease. NOT OUT!

Change? Nah, Varun Chakravarthy to continue! He is 2-0-12-0 so far.

Ooh, beaten! After a flurry of wrong'uns, a proper leggie to end the over. Pushed through quick and outside off, Jos Buttler looks to back away and cut but is well beaten.

Short ball outside off, sitting up for the batter, Jacob Bethell stays put and slaps the ball away to deep point for another single.

Nagging length, bowled from the front of the hand again and angling it onto the pads, Buttler presses back and tucks it through backward square leg for one more.

On the shorter side again and outside off, Bethell sits down and cuts it square through the point region for a single.

Drags the length well short and angles it well outside off, Jacob Bethell reaches for it and taps it towards cover. That should have been put away.

Starts off full on off, Buttler takes the front leg out and drives it firmly down to long on for a single.

Change? Yes, more spin. Ravi Bishnoi has been introduced into the attack now. He replaces Axar Patel.

Around the wicket to the left-hander, tossed up around middle, Jacob Bethell leans on and watchfully blocks it off.

England's young sensation, Jacob Bethell is in at number 6.

OUT! TIMBER! Another top delivery from Varun Chakravarthy and England are 4 down already. That in-between length from Varun, bowled around off and it is the big wrong'un once again. Liam Livingstone backs away a fair bit past the leg stump and brings out the cover drive but is beaten on the angle and the ball castles into the leg stump. Varun Chakravarthy is pumped and Livingstone departs for a two-ball-duck! England is reduced from 65/2 to 65/4 within the span of just two balls.

Tossed up, quite full and around off, Liam Livingstone just about manages to push it out.

Liam Livingstone is in at number 5.

OUT! PLAYED ON! Nicely bowled but a tad unlucky there for Harry Brook. Varun Chakravarthy goes a bit wide of the crease and serves the wrong'un, on a length on off, turning it in. Brook stays back and just gets leg side of the ball, trying to create some room but the ball angles in, takes the inside edge and goes onto the pads before eventually going onto the stumps. The bails fall off and the 48-run stand between Brook and Buttler has come to an end. England are 65/3 after 7.3 overs!

FOUR! A touch of class there from Harry Brook! Not all that short, a tad wide and Brook just rocks back and cuts it so late and wide of short third for a boundary.

Nicely bowled! Varun sees Brook stepping out and shortens the length, angling it in at the batter. Brook misses and the ball just clips the pad before rolling to backward point.

Another good piece of fielding in the deep. Good length, sliding on from the fifth-stump line, Buttler leans on and caresses the drive on the up and the ball races across the turf but Arshdeep Singh covers good ground from sweeper cover to his right and dives in to save a couple of more runs.

SIX! Jos Buttler hasn't put a foot wrong thus far! Fractionally short on middle, angling in, Buttler picks up the length early, rocks back and pulls it over cow corner for another biggie.

Darted in with the arm, onto middle and leg, flicked away in front of square leg for a single.

Sees the batter coming this time and fires it in full and straight, Brook jams it back to the bowler.

SIX! Axar gives this one a bit more air and floats it around off, Brook uses his feet well and stays leg side of the ball before lofting it away over wide long off for a biggie.

On a length, bowled flatter and aimed in at the off stump, Harry Brook blocks it off.

Here's Axar Patel into the attack for the first time. He replaces Arshdeep Singh!

Top effort in the deep from Nitish Kumar Reddy. Tossed up on a good length and outside off, Jos Buttler thrashes it away back past the bowler and to the right of long off where Reddy sprints across and dives in to save a couple of runs for his side. England are 46/2 after the Powerplay.

Darted in full and straight at the stumps, Brook digs it out wide of mid on and scampers through quickly for the single. Good running in the end.

FOUR! Oh, that's streaky! Floated up full and outside off, Hardik Pandya looks to fetch and slog it over mid on, against the turn but gets an inside edge past the stumps and the ball rolls away into the fine leg fence.

Brook is down on the ground! Dragged length outside off, angling it well in, Brook gets inside the line to play the lap but misses and the ball just goes over the stumps.

Pushed through flatter this time and around middle, Jos Buttler leans on and strokes it down to long on for a single.

Starts off on a fuller length, angling it in from around middle, Buttler clips it off the inner edge and towards short fine leg.

Varun Chakravarthy comes into the attack now.

An appeal for caught behind but only Arshdeep Singh is interested from the Indian camp! Oh, wait! they have gone upstairs! Arshdeep looks very convinced hence, Suryakumar Yadav opts for a review! Length ball, across off, deviating a shy bit away from the batter, Harry Brook misses to heave across and the ball shoots past his bat. Sanju Samson collects it safely behind. UltraEdge shows no bat involved and Brook will continue to bat on!

Sharp bumper, across off, Harry Brook opts out of the pull shot and lets it be.

Hurls it fuller and around off, Jos Buttler gets forward and pushes it to mid off for a quick single.

Full, and aiming the off-pole, Jos Buttler strides across and drives it firmly to cover.

Gets off the mark, does Brook! In a streaky way though! Bangs it into the surface, on middle, sliding back in a touch. Harry Brook stands tall and tries work it across but inside edges on the thigh pad and it rolls to the off side. A quick single taken.

Too short, cutting across the batter, on off, Jos Buttler shapes to pull but it goes off the outside edge through cover-point for a single.

Short of a good length, on top of middle, Jos Buttler pulls it along the ground and beats the diving mid-wicket fielder for single.

FOUR! Delicate! A loosener, on the pads, Jos Buttler uses the pace and just gives it a bit of a tickle using his wrists. Gets it past deep fine leg for a boundary. Buttler is flying!

FOUR! WHAT A CRACKER OF A SHOT! Too short, on top of off, Jos Buttler shapes well by weighing on the back foot, and pulls it through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Whoa, what happened here? Hardik bowls it slow, full and on off, Jos Buttler plays it early and nearly chips it back towards the bowler. It lobs off the outer half of the bat and just dips ahead of Hardik Pandya who collects it on the bounce and throws it instantly back at the striker's end.

FOUR! And again! Hardik being taken to the cleaners here! A mirror-image of the previous delivery! Bowls it at the pads, does Hardik, Jos Buttler leans and flicks it past deep square leg for another boundary.

FOUR! Buttler won't stop! This is a fine, fine shot from the English skipper! Angling into the batter, on a hard length, Jos Buttler uses his wrists and just flicks it along the ground, through the vacant square leg region for a boundary.

WIDE! He will have to reload that one again! Sprays it down leg on a length, Jos Buttler misses his flick and the ball goes behind to the keeper.

A SNORTER! Lands it on a good length, it then cuts across the batter, deviates away and beats Harry Brook's outside edge on the way to the keeper!

Harry Brook is the new batter in.

OUT! HIGH UP IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! A four and out for Ben Duckett! A seam-up delivery, positioning towards the slips, fuller in length and curving away from outside off. Ben Duckett tries to give it a whips across and over the leg side, but closes his bat face a bit too early in this process. Hence, a thick healthy leading edge is found. The ball flies high in the air, and over the cover region. Rinku Singh backtracks running a few yards. Locks his eyes on the ball and takes a fine catch. He is pumped up and so are the Indians as England slip to 17/2. Arshdeep Singh gets his second wicket and he now stands alone at the summit in terms of T20I wickets taken by Indian bowlers with 97 wickets.

FOUR! Off the mark, is Ben Duckett, in some innovative fashion! Hard length, outside off, Ben Duckett first shapes to scoop it up but decides to play with the swing and reverse scoops it over short third for a boundary.

BEATEN! An away shape from a good length, just outside off, Ben Duckett plays inside the line to defend, but the ball leaves him and zips past the outside edge.

A slip in place for Duckett! Brings the stumps into play, does Arshdeep, touch full and nips back in, on middle and leg, Ben Duckett is half-forward to block but inside edges it onto his pads.

Back of a length, cutting back in off the deck, on middle, Jos Buttler hops across and tucks it towards deep backward square leg for a single.

Touch full and on the stumps, Jos Buttler skips forward and pushes it in front of mid on for a quick single. Three from the first, and nine from the second! A power-packed start from both sides!

FOUR! Not exactly where he intended to hit, but he will take it! An away swinger from Hardik, outside off on a fuller length, Jos Buttler tries to smash the cover drive, goes with hard hands but gets a leading edge that flies up and over backward point for a boundary!

A sharp inswinger, from outside off and coming back towards the off-stump line, Jos Buttler prods forward and drives it straight to the cover fielder.

On a hard length, on off at 133.4 kph, Jos Buttler opens the bat face and eases it towards point.

FOUR! Enough, says Jos Buttler! Gets the first boundary for his side! An overpitched-delivery, on middle and off, Jos Buttler comes dancing down the track and smashes it straight down the ground for a cracking boundary!

Hardik begins from over the stumps, with a slip in place! Gets an away movement, on a hard length, around off, Jos Buttler strides ahead, and pushes it towards cover.

Hardik Pandya to share the new ball with Arshdeep Singh.

Length ball, curling back into the right-hander, from a good length, on leg, Jos Buttler misses to glance it across and the ball deflects off his thigh pad, to run toward the square leg region. They do get a quick leg bye. End of the first, England are 3/1.

BEATEN! Outside off on a length, nipping away off the deck, Buttler hangs his bat away from the body with his feet going nowhere. Plays inside and the ball teases past his outside edge.

England and Buttler are underway! Around off and fuller this time, gently deviating away. Jos Buttler presses half-forward to block and it goes off the other half of the bat towards short third. A misfield from Varun Chakravarthy there allows them to scamper back for the second!

Jos Buttler walks in at number 3 for England.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Arshdeep Singh strikes in the very first over for India! Pitches it outside leg from over the wickets, and lands it on a shortish length. The ball lands and rises with the bounce, cutting a bit back into the batter. Phil Salt is left flummoxed by the excessive bounce and hops to negotiate against it, but takes off his eyes while getting across. Ends up top-edging it high up in the night sky. The ball swirls up and over the keeper. Sanju Samson runs forward and settles under it. Pouches it safely in his mitts. England lose their first pretty early as Salt goes for a three-ball duck! Also, with his 96th T20I wicket, Arshdeep joins Yuzvendra Chahal with the most T20I wickets for India.

Steams in, now gently moves the ball the other way, on a length, on middle and leaving the batter, Phil Salt rises with the bounce and punches it to the cover-point region.

On the money, is Arshdeep! Gets the bowl to curve back into the batter, on a length, around middle and leg. Phil Salt misses to tuck it across and wears it high on the front thigh pad.

Done and dusted with the pre-match formalities and it is now time to get the play underway. Jhulam Goswami, the legendary former Indian pacer, who has a stand named after her at this ground, rings the bell marking the start of play. It will be the duo of Phil Salt and Ben Duckett to open the innings for England. Arshdeep Singh has the new ball in hand and raring to go. Let's play...

We are just a few minutes away from the start of this contest. However, first up, the officials walk out to the middle followed by the two sets of players and they all line up for the national anthems. It will be the national anthem of England first, followed by the Indian national anthem.

India (Playing XI) - Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy.

England (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.

The captain of England, Jos Buttler says there's a little bit of dew around so they would have bowled as well. Adds it is one of the great cricket grounds to play around and it is always an honor to be in India. Also says that everyone's in a good spot, and also a lot of guys have experience playing franchise cricket in this part of the world and expect it to be a good game of cricket. Mentions they are looking forward to take on a good Indian side and are right up for it. Feels that both sides are ultra-aggressive and aims to put on a great show. Informs that Saqib Mahmood, Brydon Carse, Rehan Ahmed and Jamie Smith are the guys missing out.

The captain of India, Suryakumar Yadav says that they will bowl first and adds that the wicket looks a bit sticky and the dew will come into play. Adds that the boys joining in from Australia have a different energy and the preparations have been good. Reckons that it will be good competition between the two sides and informs that the likes of Mohammed Shami, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana miss out.

It is TOSS time now. Both the skippers are geared up in their respective jerseys! The coin goes up and lands in the favor of INDIA and Suryakumar Yadav says they will BOWL first!

PITCH REPORT - Deepdas Gupta is pitchside. Starts by saying that the average sixes hit here in the last 10 T20s is 10 per inning. Nick Knight joins him near the deck and adds that it will aid the pacers as it has a nice tinge of green on it and reckons that the taller English bowlers will get more purchase. Gupta adds that it looks a bit dry as well but the dew factor will come in and Knight concludes that it will still be a high-scoring game.

At Eden Gardens, where runs typically flow freely, the dew factor might influence India to stick with just two spinners likewise England, despite their spin strength and options. Interestingly, teams batting first have bucked the dew trend here, winning three out of four matches since 2021. Considering all these key stats and figures, the toss could play an important role as well. So, Skyball vs Bazball it is! Who strikes first, eh? Do stick around as we bring the toss and team updates pretty soon!

England's balanced lineup features Adil Rashid and Livingstone's spin paired with four lethal pacers, as India finalizes their playing eleven. A crucial subplot emerges in Washington Sundar's potential inclusion - his finger spin could exploit England's historical weakness, particularly against their right-handed heavy lineup. However, the spin battle cuts both ways, India's recent struggles against spin, combined with their likely left-handed quintet, make Adil Rashid a key weapon for England, given his impressive record against southpaws. These matchup dynamics could well shape the contest's outcome.

Talk about laying your cards on the table - as usual, England have boldly named their XI ahead of time, with the ever-dangerous Jos Buttler at the controls. No surprise that they've stuck to their core nucleus, but there's a fresh addition of young Jacob Bethell, whose franchise cricket exploits have again earned him a coveted spot in this lineup. The middle order reads like a who's who of T20 demolition experts, but it's the pace department that really sends shivers down spines. With speed merchants Jofra Archer and Mark Wood back at full tilt, England's fast-bowling arsenal is locked and loaded.

At the helm stands India's 360-degree sensation Suryakumar Yadav. The team strikes a decent balance between seasoned campaigners and fresh firepower, while veterans like Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson bring their wealth of experience, the explosive talents of Rinku Singh, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma inject raw energy into the mix. The blend of youth and experience has been carefully crafted, with each player bringing their unique X-factor to the table. India will surely miss Jasprit Bumrah, but with the return of Mohammed Shami after almost fourteen months, the pace department looks potent enough with Chakravarthy and Bishnoi being the frontline spinners.

Potentially being seen as the beginning of the dress rehearsal before next year’s T20 World Cup. Both teams have a good number of games on their roster leading up to the biggest tournament, but both sides would be keen to step in the right direction and build a formidable squad. This also marks the first T20I between India and England after the T20 World Cup Semifinal that was played last year in Guyana, and the only third clash after 2022. So that makes the anticipation soar much higher and makes it more spicier than ever.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, CRICKET!!! Two cricketing powerhouses, one is the newly crowned T20 world champions, while on the other side, is a team built with a reputation of being the dominators of this format. Hello and welcome to our coverage of this super-exciting white-ball series between India and England as they first clash for five action-packed T20Is. The journey starts from here in the City of Joy, Kolkata, and will conclude in the City of Dreams, Mumbai. In between it will map the length and breadth of the nation.

... MATCH DAY ...

With the franchise leagues across the world keeping the fans engaged, it is now time for the limited overs international cricket to resume as well after a brief hiatus of about a couple of weeks. In a highly anticipated white-ball series, England travel all the way to the subcontinent to clash against India. It begins with a thrilling 5-match T20I series and will conclude with a gripping ODI series of three matches as that will serve as the test for both sides before the approaching Champions Trophy. First up then, it will be the iconic Eden Gardens of Kolkata which will host the series opener of the first T20I and the caravan will then travel across the length and breadth of the country, mapping the cities of Chennai, Rajkot, Pune, and Mumbai eventually. Both teams have announced their formidable squads to feature in this series. India, the hosts, will be under the astute leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, along with Axar Patel, the newly appointed deputy to the skipper. With Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as the probable openers, while Suryakumar, Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh will be tasked with fortifying the middle order. India has focused on a squad which looks quite flexible on paper, with numerous all-rounders, that can also be used as floaters. The likes of Hardik Pandya, Patel himself and Washington Sundar would be the all-rounder options. Nitish Kumar Reddy, fresh from his impressive performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, has earned his place in the squad. In the wicketkeeping department, Dhruv Jurel has been preferred over Rishabh Pant for the T20 format. The bowling attack sees the welcome return of Mohammed Shami, who hasn't represented India since the 2023 ICC World Cup. With Jasprit Bumrah's fitness uncertain, Shami will lead the pace attack alongside Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. The spin department features Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy, and Axar Patel, with additional able spin options in Washington Sundar and Abhishek Sharma. England's T20 arsenal arrives in India with a perfect blend of raw firepower and seasoned campaigners. At the helm stands Jos Buttler, leading a squad that's been battle-hardened in cricket's most competitive T20 leagues around the globe. Fresh from lighting up the Big Bash League, Ben Duckett brings his red-hot form to the subcontinent. He'll likely pair with the explosive Phil Salt - a partnership that promises fireworks from ball one. The middle order features the phenomenal Harry Brook, whose recent performances across formats have left bowlers worldwide searching for answers. A fascinating subplot in this English narrative is the emergence of young Jacob Bethell, who turned heads during his Australian summer stint. However, all eyes will be on the classical strokemaker Jamie Smith - a refreshing throwback to traditional batting in this era of innovative cricket. The versatile Liam Livingstone adds his unique brand of all-round brilliance to the mix, forming what could be a fascinating spin triumvirate alongside the wily Adil Rashid and the promising Rehan Ahmed. But it's England's pace battery that truly raises eyebrows - imagine facing the raw pace of Mark Wood, the unpredictable genius of Jofra Archer, and the relentless Brydon Carse in succession. With Jamie Overton and Saqib Mahmood waiting in the wings, England's pace resources run impressively deep. With so many cricketing superstars to feature, this England’s tour of India promises a lot of fireworks. As it is being heated up in social media circles, the fans are calling it as India’s Skyball versus England’s Bazball. Who will take an early upperhand?