India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bowl first in the opening T20I of the five-match series against England at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. The big surprise ahead of the match came with the exclusion of star pacer Mohammed Shami from India’s playing XI. Shami, who last played for India in November 2023, was seen bowling in the nets earlier but was not included in the final lineup.
His absence is believed to be a tactical decision as India opted to include an extra spinner and go with just one specialist pacer in Arshdeep Singh. All-rounders Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy are expected to shoulder the pace bowling duties. Shami's exclusion has raised eyebrows, particularly after his much-anticipated return to the Indian squad.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to address Shami’s absence, questions about his fitness have surfaced. With a heavy workload ahead, including the ODI series against England and the 2025 Champions Trophy, Shami may not feature in all five T20I matches. Additionally, with Jasprit Bumrah's injury status still uncertain, Shami could face added responsibilities in the coming months.
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The pacer's last appearance for India was in the 2023 Cricket World Cup final, 430 days ago, after which an Achilles injury and knee issues kept him sidelined for nearly a year.
During the toss, India Skipper said the team wanted to stick to its strengths. “We will look to bowl first. The wicket looks sticky, and there will be dew later on. It will be heavier later on,” he explained. “The boys have been amazing. The preparations have been good, and we are looking forward to this series. It’s going to be a great competition between both sides. A good headache, we want to stick to our strengths.”
England captain Jos Buttler acknowledged the challenge India presents and the conditions at Eden Gardens. “Looks like a good wicket, and I’m sure it will be a good match. There will be some dew around. It’s a great ground, and it’s an honour to play against India in these conditions. Everyone is in a good spot. It’s nice to be together, a lot to look forward to. McCullum taking charge, he has a lot of experience. It’s going to be a challenge, we are right up for it,” said Buttler.
England will miss the services of Saqib Mahmood, Brydon Carse, Jamie Smith, and Rehan Ahmed for the match.
India's Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy
England's Playing XI: Ben Duckett, Philip Salt (wk), Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
