England Unveils Playing XI for 1st T20I vs India: Star Pacer Mark Wood Returns
On January 22, the first of five T20I matches between India and England will be played at Kolkata’s famous Eden Gardens stadium. For the visiting team, it will be the debut game with Brendon McCullum as their white-ball coach. It announced its playing XI roster, which included star pacer Mark Wood.
England Roster
The coaching staff of the England national team has decided on the team’s Playing XI for the clash against India. 35-year-old pacer Mark Wood is expected to play for the team for the first time since August. This is his first return to the squad since last summer. The player’s enforced absence was due to a stress fracture in his elbow and a minor hip problem.
Here are the English players the coaches are counting on:
- Jofra Archer;
- Gus Atkinson;
- Jacob Bethell;
- Harry Brook (vc);
- Jos Buttler (c);
- Ben Duckett;
- Liam Livingstone;
- Jamie Overton;
- Adil Rashid;
- Phil Salt (wk);
- Mark Wood.
Also notable in the England squad is Gus Atkinson’s return to the roster. He will play his first white-ball matches since 2023. The coaching staff also retained Jacob Bethell, who had a successful winter part of the season.
Comments from Jos Buttler
Skipper Jos Buttler shared his comments before the match. He expressed his excitement and impatience at the opportunity to play against such a top team as India. According to the player, it is a serious challenge for England to face a strong opponent in their home territory.
Jos Buttler also emphasized that McCullum has been working with English cricketers for a long time, so it is impossible to call his system completely new. Many players have already been with this specialist in the Test set up.
India’s Busy Calendar
For India, the five T20I matches against England come ahead of three One-Day Internationals against the same team. The games will be an important stage in India’s preparation for the upcoming Champions Trophy. This prestigious tournament starts on February 19.