Kolkata, Jan 22: India will take on England in the first T20 International of five-match series at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday Evening.

The match will start at 7 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).

The Men-In-Blue, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will be bolstered with the return of pace veteran Mohammed Shami ahead of the all-important Champions Trophy, scheduled to start next month. Shami last played for India in the ODI World Cup final against Australia in November 2023.

On the other hand, pacer Mark Wood will make his return to the England team for the first time since August. He will join Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton in England's pace-attack as the visitors announced their playing XI for the series opener on Tuesday.

India and England have faced each other 24 times in T20Is, with India holding a slight advantage with 13 wins to England's 11.

However, India have won five of the last seven T20I encounters between the two teams since 2021. Their last T20I clash occurred in the semifinals of the 2024 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup, where India secured a memorable victory.

The series will begin in Kolkata and then move to Chennai, Rajkot, Pune, and Mumbai for the remaining matches. The final T20I will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 2.

Following the T20I series, the two teams will compete in a three-match ODI series starting at Nagpur on February 6, which will give fans a peek into India’s preparation for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

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