IND vs ENG: 5 players who missed T20I series in South Africa and will return against England

The first match of IND vs ENG T20I series will be played on January 22.

After a disappointing season of test cricket, where the Indian team lost six of their last eight matches, the focus now shifts to limited-overs cricket.

India are all set to host England for a five-match T20I series, followed by a three-match ODI series before they head to Dubai for their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign.

India were dominant in the T20 format in 2024, winning 22 games in the year including the ICC Men’s T20I World Cup. Their last T20I series against South Africa saw them hammer the Proteas 3-1 in their backyard.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming T20I series against England on Saturday, January 11.

In this article, we will take a look at five players who missed the T20I series in South Africa and will return against England.

Five players who were not part of the T20I series in South Africa and will return against England:

1. Nitish Kumar Reddy

All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will return to India’s T20I squad after last featuring in the home series against Bangladesh, where he impressed with his batting, displaying the ability to anchor the innings as well as accelerate towards the end.

Reddy missed the South Africa tour as he was part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 squad. He recently scored his maiden international century against Australia in Melbourne.

2. Harshit Rana

Speedster Harshit Rana has made his return to India’s T20I squad after missing the South Africa tour. Rana gained recognition with his title-winning performances in IPL 2024 for Kolkata Knight Riders.

He was part of India’s T20I squad for the Bangladesh series but couldn’t make his debut due to a viral infection. He recently made his international debut against Australia in Perth and played a couple of tests. His

3. Dhruv Jurel

Indian selectors have immense faith in Dhruv Jurel. The 23-year-old, who played as a specialist batter in the first test of the BGT 2024-25 in Perth, has been named in the T20I squad for the series against England.

Jurel made his T20I debut during the Zimbabwe tour in July 2024. He scored six runs in one innings. He is the back-up keeper to Sanju Samson in the IND vs ENG series.

4. Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar was one of India’s standout performers in the recently concluded test season. The all-rounder made a name for himself with strong performances in the home series against New Zealand, followed by a couple of gritty batting displays in the BGT 2024-25.

Sundar missed the T20I squad for the South Africa tour due to his involvement in the test series in Australia. He last played T20I for India in the home series against Bangladesh in 2024.

With Ravi Ashwin retired, Sundar is India’s frontline off-spinning all-rounder across formats. He has already played 52 T20Is in his career so far.

5. Mohammed Shami

The biggest comeback in the squad is that of pacer Mohammed Shami. The seamer last played for India in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final. Since then, he has undergone extensive rehabilitation at the NCA to recover from ankle and knee issues.

Mohammed Shami last played a T20I in the semi-final of ICC Men’s T20I World Cup 2022. His return will provide a significant boost to India’s fast bowling lineup for the impending Champions Trophy.

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