The five-match T20I series between India and England is set to commence on Wednesday evening at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Gautam Gambhir has achieved considerable success as India's coach in the T20 format, with the team yet to experience a series defeat under his leadership. The squad, captained by Suryakumar Yadav, aims to establish a strong foundation in the series opener against Jos Buttler's side.

Gambhir faced criticism for his selection decisions during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which India lost 1-3. It will be intriguing to observe whether he opts for any unconventional choices, such as selecting Harshit Rana over Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami.

Mohammed Shami is poised to return to international cricket after more than a year on the sidelines due to injury. Should he participate in the first match, it would mark his first T20I appearance for India in over two years, with his last match in this format occurring in November 2022.

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are anticipated to open the batting for India. The right-handed Samson has been in exceptional form in T20Is, having scored three centuries in his last five outings. His exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad is likely to provide him with additional motivation to excel.

Conversely, Abhishek Sharma has yet to make a significant impact. However, the limited options for opening batsmen may lead to the left-hander from Punjab receiving an extended opportunity. Tilak Varma is expected to bat at No. 3, following his impressive performance with back-to-back centuries in the previous T20I series against South Africa.

The middle order will feature Suryakumar Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Hardik Pandya, and Axar Patel. Additionally, Varun Chakravarthy is assured a place as the spinner, ahead of Ravi Bishnoi.

The Rinku Singh conundrum

Gautam Gambhir has a preference for including multiple all-rounders in his lineup, a strategy evident during the recent Test series against Australia. Given the current selection decisions, it is anticipated that Washington Sundar will be favored to start over Rinku Singh.

Positioning Rinku Singh at the No. 7 or 8 spot may not fully utilize his batting potential; therefore, the team is likely to opt for Washington Sundar over the 27-year-old player.

India's predicted XI for the first T20I against England

Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav ©, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel (Vice Captain), Washington Sundar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Varun Chakaravarthy.

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