ENG vs IND Key Players to look out for | 1st T20 Match
The biggest battle in Cricket begins now. India is now traveling to their most difficult cricket destination as they prepare to take on England. Here are the England vs India 1st T20I Key Players. These two nations will first engage in a battle of three T20Is which shall then be followed by 3 ODIs and 5 Tests. The tour of India vs England 2018 will grab the attention of cricket world all around.
India has played three T20s vs England in England so far and has succumbed to three losses. With a full-fledged T20I series in view now India will be eying their opportunity to defeat the English team. The English team is currently ranked fourth on the ICC T20I rankings while India enjoys the second position. Both the teams won their last T20I encounter.
Leading to the match, here are a few Key players for England vs India 1st T20I Match –
The man requires no introduction. Currently the best batsman in the world, even the Dream11 database has assigned him the highest credits amongst both the teams, 10.5. Virat had a lean IPL where he struggled to be consistent and then was out of the action due to the back injury.
The hungry lion now returns to the jungle. In contrast to his Test failures in England, Virat has performed well in white-ball cricket on English soil. In ODIs, he boasts a healthy average of 52 while he has scored a fifty in a T20I in England. The Indian eyes will be centered on the run-machine and how it performs.
The left-handed opener exhibited his fine form against Ireland in the first T20I as he went on to score 74 in the first innings. Dhawan had a fine campaign for Sunrisers Hyderabad and delivered regularly for the team. He was lethal against the debutant Afghan team and smashed a quick century against them, displaying his form.
The confidence-boosting fact for Shikhar is that he has performed exceptionally in English conditions. He already has three ODI centuries in England and averages a whopping 71.33. With him playing at the top spot, India will heavily rely on Gabbar to provide a flying start in the T20I series.
The left-arm wrist spinner has been a sensation for Indian cricket. Along with Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav has bamboozled every opposition that came their way. The 23-year old left-hander had a rather ordinary IPL but improved in the last few matches and registered the figures of 4/20 against RR.
Playing against Ireland, Kuldeep was picked for both the T20Is and he showed his mettle. In the first T20I, he picked up 4/21 and slashed through the Irish batting line-up. Continuing the form, he again delivered with the extraordinary figures of 3/16. England team will be under pressure while facing this tricky wrist-spinner.
The wicket-keeper is widely acknowledged as England’s best white-ball batsman. He has been in an incredible form ever since he started opening the innings for Rajasthan Royals. After the glorious IPL where he scored five consecutive fifties, Buttler performed exceptionally even against Australia in ODIs and T20I.
In the last T20I against Australia, Buttler came out to bat at his favorite opening spot. By the time he was out, England was 95/1 in just 9 overs. Jos scored 61 from just 30 balls that included six fours and five sixes. With a familiar Indian bowling attack in front, Buttler will be extremely important.
There is no doubt that Joe Root is amongst one of the finest batsmen going around. While he has proved him expertise in Tests and ODIs, T20Is remain a stage where he needs to overshadow his compatriots. In the T20 arena, Root has scored four half-centuries and has a healthy strike rate hovering around 130.
In the last match against Australia, Root handled the situation well and made sure the run-flow continued. He scored a quick 35 from 24 balls with four boundaries. The technically correct batsman will be key for England when they face the quality Indian bowling attack. Root will be very important against the Indian wrist-spinners.
For years, there was a perception that India is ruthless against spinners. The image has been broken in last few years and the Indian batsmen have faced problems against quality spin. While Moeen Ali troubled them the last time around, this time they have an extra challenge of Adil Rashid.
The wily leg-spinner has been in top form. In the last match against Aussies, where more than 400 runs were scored in the T20I, Rashid gave only 27 runs and picked 3 wickets. With wickets of Finch, Stoinis, and Carey, Rashid single-handedly crashed the Australian team. He was named the man of the match for his performance. India will have to careful against the spin of Rashid.
England vs India 1st T20I will be Played 22:00 IST at Old Trafford, Manchester. Match Centre