There is also considerable excitement around 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has indicated that the youngster is unlikely to be rushed into the playing XI and will continue to be eased into international cricket.
England, meanwhile, boast one of the strongest T20 squads in world cricket. Harry Brook leads a side packed with proven match-winners, including Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Sam Curran and Adil Rashid. Their pace attack could prove decisive in home conditions. Jofra Archer, Luke Wood, Saqib Mahmood and Sam Curran are expected to exploit the movement on offer with the new ball, making India’s fragile top order their primary target.
Pitch Report
The Riverside Ground has traditionally provided a balanced contest between bat and ball, but fast bowlers have often enjoyed the upper hand, particularly during evening matches when swing is available under lights.
The venue has produced an average first-innings score of around 138 in T20Is, suggesting batters will need to spend time at the crease before playing their shots. Teams winning the powerplay battle are likely to gain a significant advantage.
India hold the overall edge in T20Is between the two sides, winning 18 of the 30 matches, while England have registered 12 victories.
In England, however, the rivalry has been far more evenly contested, with India holding only a 6-5 advantage, underlining how competitive the contests have been on English soil.
Squads:
England Squad: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler(w), Harry Brook(c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood, Jordan Cox, James Coles, Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker
India Squad: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Washington Sundar, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi
