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India vs England LIVE Updates: Pacer Mohammed Shami is set to make his India comeback after 14-months as the hosts take on England in the first T20I of a five-match series at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Shami, who last played for India in November 2023, is hoping to regain full fitness ahead of next month's all-important Champions Trophy.
Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav has credited Gautam Gambhir's leadership for fostering a positive and player-friendly atmosphere in the T20 team on Tuesday in Kolkata. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar highlighted the former Indian opener's unique approach to mentoring and managing players. "I've played under Gambhir for four years, so I know how he works," Suryakumar said. He recalled his journey with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where Gambhir used to be the captain of the side, and won the IPL in 2014, when Yadav was part of the KKR set-up. "Even without speaking to him, we know what we need to do," he added.
India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav had a hilarious reply in store when he was quizzed about the defending champions' plans for next year's T20 World Cup ahead of the five-match series against England. With the T20 World Cup just a year away, the five-match series against England will serve as the ideal preparation ground for the Indian team. On Monday, Suryakumar's deputy, Axar Patel, revealed that the Indian team would evaluate and try out its options while keeping the tournament in mind right from the England series. "World Cup is coming up in a year, so how we approach leading up to that, we want to try it from now itself. That's the main target. Momentum is a big thing because if you start well, you can carry it. We finished 2024 well, so we want to carry the momentum into this series too," Axar told reporters.
India T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav on Tuesday said Hardik Pandya remains very much part of the leadership group despite the elevation of Axar Patel as his deputy. Following the retirement of Rohit Sharma form T20s last year, Hardik was tipped to lead the side but Suryakumar was given that responsibility after the arrival of new coach Gautam Gambhir. Ahead of the five T20s against England, Hardik was removed as vice-captain and Axar was handed that responsibility.
Explosive batter and T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav on Tuesday said he has accepted his exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad but what hurts him more is that he could not perform well in the ODI format and the ones chosen for the ICC event deserve to be on the team. The selectors ignored Suryakumar for the 15-member CT squad but he remains in-charge of the side that will take on Jos Buttler's England in the five-match T20I series beginning here Wednesday.
Fit-again pacer Mohammed Shami's comeback would be keenly watched when the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian T20 team takes on an evenly-matched England in a five-match series starting on Wednesday, aiming to make up for the recent Test disasters that have caused considerable turmoil and heartbreak. The white-ball rubber, comprising five T20Is and three ODIs after that, presents an ideal platform for both the teams to experiment with combinations and assess form before next month's Champions Trophy. Shami, despite missing four matches, emerged as India's leading wicket-taker in the ODI World Cup 2023 with 24 scalps, including a sensational 7/57 in the semifinal against New Zealand at the Wankhede.
India all-rounder Axar Patel has been given a new responsibility - being the vice-captain in T20I cricket. However, while T20I cricket is in a healthy state for the country, Test cricket has seen a tumultuous few months, culminating in a 1-3 loss for India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and questions being raised over Gautam Gambhir's support staff, with reports stating that assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate were under scrutiny from the BCCI. However, Axar has reiterated faith in the team management and also stated that he wasn't aware of team happenings in the Australia tour. Axar also stated that being vice-captain comes with the responsibility of having to take strong calls at times.
Openers are the only ones with a fixed slot in the Indian T20 line-up and the batting order that follows will be made up of "multiple floaters", new vice-captain Axar Patel said on Monday while spelling out the team's strategy ahead the five-match series against England. India will start their campaign against England in a five-match T20I series at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday. Asked about being a floater in batting order, the all-rounder replied: "...it's not just about me; it applies to everyone in the team.