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The second T20I of the ongoing five-match series between India and England is scheduled to take place at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.
India’s playing XI for 2nd T20I against England. (Picture Credit: X/@BCCI)
After crushing England by 7 wickets in the first T20I played at Eden Gardens on Wednesday (January 22), the Indian men’s cricket team would like to come up with another big show in the second T20I of the ongoing five-match series, which is scheduled to take place at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday (January 25). Star Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who was not included in the playing XI for the series opener, could make his long-awaited India comeback on Saturday.
Shami last played for India against Australia in the ODI World Cup 2023 final on November 19, 2023, at Narendra Modi Stadium. Since that match he has been out of action due to an ankle injury. Shami made a comeback to domestic cricket in November 2024 during Bengal’s Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh but is yet to play an international match for India.
If fit, Shami could come in for Nitish Kumar Reddy. The 21-year-old all-rounder from Andhra Pradesh was part of India’s playing XI in the first T20I, but he didn’t bowl and neither got a chance to bat.
England batters struggled against Indian spinners in the first T20I at Eden Gardens, and Indian team management would like to exploit England’s weakness against spinners by again playing three spin bowlers. In the first match, Varun Chakravarthy picked up three wickets for 23 runs in four overs, and in his first T20I at his home ground, the 33-year-old spinner would like to produce another match-winning performance.
In the batting unit, India will once again have high expectations from openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Samson has scored three centuries in his last six T20Is for India, whereas Abhishek hammered 79 runs from just 34 balls in the first match. Captain Suryakumar Yadav failed to open his account in the T20I series opener, and in the second match he would like to find his lost form back.
During the second T20I, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh will have a chance to become the first Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in T20Is. Arshdeep has 97 wickets to his name in 61 matches played so far, and he needs three more wickets to create history.
India’s likely playing XI for the 2nd T20I against England: Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy
