NEW DELHI: England have already named their playing XI for the opening T20I against India, with star fast bowler Jofra Archer left out of the match at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street, Durham.Now, the focus shifts to India captain Shreyas Iyer, who will announce India’s playing XI at the toss. Will India stick with the same team that lost the T20I series to Ireland? Or will teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finally make his international debut?
Srikkanth names his India XI
Former India opener Kris Srikkanth has picked the XI he wants to see in the first T20I against England.After India’s disappointing 0-2 series defeat to Ireland, Srikkanth believes the batting should feature Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube.He also backed the return of Varun Chakravarthy alongside Axar Patel as the two spin options, while Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav and Arshdeep Singh complete his pace attack.Kris Srikkanth’s India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy.
‘Vaibhav should have played against Ireland’
Srikkanth believes Sooryavanshi missed a big opportunity in the second T20I against Ireland.The 15-year-old earned his India call-up after a sensational IPL 2026, where he scored 776 runs in 16 matches for Rajasthan Royals at a strike rate of 237.30 and helped the team reach the playoffs.“He (Suryavanshi) should have 100% played the second T20I against Ireland. Abhishek Sharma should have been rested as he got a brilliant 50 in the first match. Instead of him, Suryavanshi should have played. Abhishek Sharma is a certainty anyway so Vaibhav Suryavanshi could have got a chance to play in the second Ireland match,” said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.
Why Srikkanth doesn’t want changes now
Even though he wanted Sooryavanshi to play in Ireland, Srikkanth feels India should not change the opening combination at the start of the England series.“For all you know, he might have won them the game because he has performed well in difficult conditions in the IPL. But now that he hasn’t played against Ireland, I won’t play him in the first two T20Is against England,” he said.
