ENG vs IND, 1st T20I: Rohit Sharma in focus on comeback as India face stiff test against Jos Buttler’s England
India Today
India tour of England, 1st T20I preview: Captain Rohit Sharma, who returns to white-ball action after recovering from Covid-19, will be in focus as India take on Jos Buttler-led England in the first of a 3-match series in Southampton on July 7. India will be without Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja for the series opener.
India will look to intensify their build-up to the T20 World Cup as they face high-quality opposition in England in a 3-match T20I series, starting July 7 in Southampton. Rohit Sharma is back for the visitors after having recovered from Covid-19, which kept him out of the one-off Test against England in Birmingham.
Rohit Sharma was not expected to be part of the 1st T20I as the Test regulars were rested for the series opener, but having missed the Test and recovered from the health setback, the skipper is gearing up to lead a bunch of youngsters, who have had plenty of match practice.
Gearing up for the T20Is #TeamIndia | #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/YHqaaQ0G0R
India have not lost a T20I bilateral series to England since the one-off loss in 2014 and Rohit will have good memories of playing the shortest format of the game in Old Blighty. Rohit top-scored with 137 runs in 3 matches as India sealed the series 2-1 in 2018.
However, past records will matter very little for India, who are looking to crack the T20I combination in the lead-up to the World Cup. While the likes of Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja are not available for the first T20I, the spotlight will be on Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda and Dinesh Karthik as they look to seal their spots when the big names return.
DINESH KARTHIK’S DREAM RETURN
Dinesh Karthik, who was in England last year as part of the host broadcasters’ commentary panel, has all but sealed his spot for the World Cup. Having returned to the side for the first time in 3 years during a home series against South Africa, Karthik has impressed with his improved finishing skills, which were evident when he turned up for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2022. Karthik continued his good run in Ireland and went on to lead the side in the practice matches earlier this month.