England and India are set to meet again tomorrow in the first of five T20’s to take place in Ahmedabad as the two countries to battle in the shortest form of the game.

A much changed squad from the Test series will represent in England with the likes of Jos Buttler and Sam Curran coming back in after being rested for the longer form of the game.

With all that said, here is how we feel Eoin Morgan’s side will line-up in the series opener.

Jason Roy

It has been a tough spell for the Surrey man in recent months but he is almost certain to be back at the top of the order. He has had a well earned rest in recent months so should be raring to go for this series and really show the selectors that he is the player to be at the top of the order for the T20 World Cup later this year with the likes of Liam Livingstone and James Vince showing strong form in the Big Bash earlier this year.

Jos Buttler

England’s most entertaining player comes straight in at the top of the order. The Lancashire man will also be raring to go after being rested for the final three Test Matches against India so has a real chance make the most of that in this series. The 30-year-old has plenty of experience all around the world and like many, has featured in the IPL so will be very used to these conditions and will be key if England are to do well in this series.

Dawid Malan

It is almost impossible to leave Malan out of the side. Not only is he the highest ranked T20 batsman in world cricket but his record for England in the shortest form of the game is sensational.  He has featured just 19 times in total but has already scored 855 runs at an average of 53.43 and has taken the game by storm. His strike rate is also highly impressive, coming in at 149.47 which just underlines how important he is and why he has to be in the side.

Eoin Morgan

England’s captain has been a vital part of the side for a number of years now and will know that finding form in this series will be crucial with the World T20 approaching. His captaincy has been brilliant and is something that will need to continue to be, particuarly against Virat Kohli’s side who have several star players in their ranks at present. It’s the perfect preparation for his side with the World T20 also taking place in India this year.

Jonny Bairstow

The Yorkshireman found life tough in the recent Test series against India but you back him to come into this side and excel from the off. He is far more suited to this form of the game and has bundles of experience playing in tournaments like the IPL which should really help him in this series and moving forward.

Ben Stokes

The final part of England’s renowned top six is Ben Stokes. He has a relevantly quiet Test series against India by his standards so he will be keen to leave a mark on this series to come. The number which Stokes comes in at in this series is also up for debate and will be very situational but you would think he would be down to come in at number six initially. His bowling will also be key and add real balance to the team.

Moeen Ali

Another player who has had a bit of rest of late is Moeen Ali. He suffered from COVID-19 on the tour of Sri Lanka before featuring in the second match against India, after which he flew home for some rest. He id now back and will play an important part with the ball on pitches which should help him succeed and offer good depth to the batting line up at number seven.

Sam Curran

Another play who comes in fully refreshed is Sam Curran. He was fully rested for the Test series against India so will be raring to go in this series. Until recently, he wasn’t really considered in this format but a string of strong performances have made the selectors take note. He is a big part of the future of England across all formats and it’s set to be another vital year for the Surrey man. Coming in at number eight he can offer real depth in the batting and gives Morgan a different option with his left arm.

Adil Rashid

Arguably England’s most consistent performer with the ball in white ball cricket in recent year. He continues to impress in both ODI and T20 cricket and one of the first names on the team sheet for Morgan. His leg spin has developed hugely in recent times and will be a real weapon in this series and could a long way to helping his side perform as well as they can.  Rarely you are needed at number nine with the bat but he is always capable of lower order runs too.

Mark Wood

Another player who is well rested after being rested following the tour of Sri Lanka at the start of the year. Wood did come back for the final two Tests but didn’t play so will be keen to get going and make an impact in this series. His sheer pace will be a key part of this and his freshness should really help England as they build towards the World T20 later this year. A great option.

Jofra Archer

Another who hasn’t seen much cricket this year, playing in just two of the Test Matches against India and has struggled with some injuries but does look like he will be ready to play in this series. Like Wood, he offers Morgan real pace which is something which hasn’t always been the case so it’s great for England to have such viratey in the ranks.

There are plenty of other options which Morgan could look at but for the first game of the series, this is the best side we feel he has available to him.

The action kicks off on Friday afternoon at 1:30pm time in the UK.

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