New Delhi: Skyball vs Bazball, Six Fest Loading…This is what the poster released by Star Sports for the upcoming India vs England series mentions, highlighting the excitement behind the series.

The highly-anticipated series, featuring five T20Is and three ODIs takes place from January 22 and both the sides would be eager to show off their excellence in the white-ball format.

This series will serve as a practice for both the teams ahead of February’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will feature the top eight nations from the world. For India, it will be highly essential to make a mark in the ODI and T20I matches against the English side especially after the hammering they faced against Australia in the recently-concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

England high on confidence

While Team India would a bit low on confidence, it’s the other way round for Team England who have recently emerged victorious against New Zealand in a Test series. The Three Lions beat the Kiwis 2-1 on their turf in the red-ball matches stamping their authority as one of the best sides in Tests in the world. While India have the power of T20 specialists like Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma, England will take on the Men in Blue with their much-in-news bazball approach.

While the T20 squad for the English side will not be much disturbed, it’s India who will makes some notable inclusions for the series, especially the ODIs. India’s T20I setup looks more or less set but for the 50-over format, keeping in mind the CT 2025, BCCI will have to pick the best in the lot especially after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s poor show in the BGT in Australia.

Mohammad Shami could get his entry back in the national side as a doubt looms over pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s participation after he suffered a back spasm in the Sydney Test match.