India have announced their 15-man squad for the five-match T20I series against England, starting later this month. Mohammed Shami will return to the international arena after more than a year as his last match in Indian colors was in November 2023 during the World Cup final.

Dhruv Jurel will be the second wicketkeeper batsman and will act as a backup to Sanju Samson, and Rishabh Pant was not selected for the match. Pant was part of the T20 World Cup squad last year but his exclusion could have to do with his lackluster performances in the format.

Sanju Samson will continue as the main wicket-keeper batsman after showing exceptional performances in T20Is last year where he broke several records. With Yashasvi Jaiswal absent, Abhishek Sharma has retained his place and will remain at the top.

Several players were unable to participate in the South Africa series last year due to the Border Gavaskar Trophy, but most of the starting players have been withdrawn. The likes of Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana are part of the T20I team.

Axar Patel promoted to vice-captain’s position after consistent performances

Meanwhile, Axar Patel, one of the key players during India’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign last year, has been elevated to vice-captain. Despite the presence of Hardik Pandya, Axar’s rise as Suryakumar Yadav’s understudy is a bit surprising, but he also has previous experience leading a T20 team.

Since 2023, he has totaled 327 runs at an average of 25.15 and a strike rate of 147.96 in 18 innings. Furthermore, he also has 31 wickets at 19.90 runs each in 28 outings, with the best being 3/16, contributing consistently with both bat and ball.

Other South Africa series players like Tilak Varma and the ever-consistent Rinku Singh are other main batsmen in the team. Arshdeep Singh will continue to lead the attack and bring variety to the table.

The five-match T20I series begins on January 22 at Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens. India will have their sights set on the T20 World Cup next year and will be tested against a strong England side.

India squad for T20I series against England: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel (vc), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (week)

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