India (IND) will take on England (ENG) in the first T20I of the five-match series at on Wednesday, January 22 . This will be the first time both teams will be in action against each other after the Men in Blue edged out England in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024. India is the number one ranked team in the shortest format of the game, whereas the Jos Buttler-led side finds itself in the third position.

The hosts have made slight changes to their squad which toured South Africa in November 2024. The biggest talking point is the return of ace pacer Mohammed Shami after a 14-month gap. Shami will lead the bowling arsenal alongside Arshdeep Singh. Meanwhile, Axar Patel has been named as the vice-captain instead of all-rounder Hardik Pandya. For England, head coach Brendon McCullum confirmed that Buttler will focus on captaincy and will relinquish the wicketkeeping duties. India has played seven T20Is at this iconic venue, including six wins and one loss which came against the English team back in 2011.

Match Details

Eden Gardens Pitch Report

The Eden Gardens is known for providing pitches that are batting-friendly. Dew will play a big role in the match. A total of 12 T20Is have taken place so far at the Eden Gardens. The team batting first has won five times, while the chasing teams have won seven. As a result, bowling first could prove to be a crucial determinant for the team's chances in the match.

Click Here: India vs England Live Score, 1st T20I

IND vs ENG Head-To-Head Record

IND vs ENG Predicted Playing XIs

India:

Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakravarthy

England:

Phil Salt (WK), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (C), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood

Click Here: IND vs ENG 2025 Squads

IND vs ENG Probable Best Performers

Probable Best Batter:

Indian skipper could be the best batter in the first T20I against the Three Lions. Yadav wasn't at his best in the South African tour, scoring just 26 runs in three innings. However, the right-hand batter with his vast experience knows how to regain his form. Surya also has a good record playing in Kolkata, with 107 runs in four innings.

Probable Best Bowler:

India's mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy will be the best bowler in the upcoming game. The spinner had a memorable series against South Africa, bagging 12 wickets across four innings, and was the highest-wicket taker of the series. The 33-year-old is in red-hot form and was at his very best in the recent domestic tournaments. The Bidar-born will be well-versed with the conditions, citing him being part of Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

Today Match Prediction: Team bowling first to win the match

Click Here: IND vs ENG Dream11 Prediction