India’s first home series of 2025 is set to begin as England arrives for a limited-over tour featuring five T20Is and three ODIs. The tour kicks off with the T20I series, starting Wednesday in Kolkata. This marks India’s return to T20I cricket since their four-match series against South Africa in November 2024, as they gear up to start the new year on home soil.

England has arrived in India for a thrilling five-match T20I series and a three-match ODI series, setting up an exciting end to January for cricket fans. With two top teams going head-to-head, this promises to be an unmissable clash!

India has unveiled a strong squad for the T20I series, led by Suryakumar Yadav. Tilak Varma makes a comeback after a stellar series against South Africa, while Rinku Singh adds depth and firepower to the batting lineup. The team is packed with all-rounders like Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Hardik Pandya, Abhishek Sharma, and Axar Patel, promising balance and versatility.

Sanju Samson, in excellent T20I form, will don the gloves as wicketkeeper, with Dhruv Jurel also joining the squad. The team gets a major boost with the return of pacer Mohammad Shami after a lengthy injury break. The bowling lineup features Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and Ravi Bishnoi, adding variety and firepower to the attack.

India enjoyed a stellar 2024 in T20Is, clinching the World Cup under Rohit Sharma and securing series wins against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and South Africa. With preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup now underway under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership, this series promises to be an exciting start to the journey.

England enters the series with a formidable squad, boasting stars like Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Jacob Bethell. Their bowling lineup is equally lethal, featuring Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, and Adil Rashid. Packed with match-winners, England promises to be a tough challenge for India.

The last T20I clash between India and England was in the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final, where India secured a commanding 68-run victory. India has won six of their last ten encounters against England and enters this series with confidence. The last bilateral T20I series between the two sides took place in 2022, with India clinching it 2-1. Overall, India leads the head-to-head record, winning 13 out of 24 T20Is, and starts this series as favorites. Fans can expect an exciting and closely fought contest!