India’s first home series of 2025 is here, with England arriving for a limited-overs tour. The series will feature five T20Is followed by three ODIs, providing India with valuable preparation ahead of the Champions Trophy in February. The T20I squad has been announced, while the ODI and Champions Trophy squads will be revealed later.

Suryakumar Yadav will lead the Indian side in the T20I series. Known for his explosive batting and innovative stroke play, he has also proven to be a capable leader, guiding India to recent series wins against South Africa and Bangladesh. His inclusion as captain is no surprise, given his form and experience in this format.

The squad remains largely unchanged from the South Africa tour, with notable players like Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma retaining their spots. Samson has been in sensational form, scoring three centuries in quick succession, making him one of the team’s key players. However, Ramandeep Singh, Yash Dayal, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, and Jitesh Sharma have not been included this time.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, who impressed during the Test series against Australia, returns to the T20I squad. Joining him are Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, and Dhruv Jurel. Sundar, who last played a T20I in October 2024, is back in the fold and will be an important all-round option for India. Another big boost for the team is Mohammad Shami's return. The experienced pacer, who last played in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, has recovered from injury and showcased his form in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he took 11 wickets for Bengal. His return strengthens the bowling attack ahead of the Champions Trophy.

Axar Patel has been named the vice-captain for the series. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill have been rested, and Jasprit Bumrah is unavailable due to an injury.The T20I matches will be held in Kolkata, Chennai, Rajkot, Pune, and Mumbai, while the ODIs will take place in Nagpur, Cuttack, and Ahmedabad. These three ODIs will be India’s only games in this format before the Champions Trophy.

India’s squad: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar.