England have announced their squad for next month’s T20I series against India and while the usual suspects have retained their places, one young all-rounder has earned a maiden senior call-up after impressing throughout last year.
With a busy international schedule and a quick turnaround after the Test series against New Zealand, England have gone for a bigger squad as they gear up for a five-match T20I series against Shreyas Iyer-led India.
The biggest talking point from England’s squad announcement is the inclusion of Sussex all-rounder James Coles, who has received his first call-up to the senior national side.
The 21-year-old has been rewarded for a strong run of performances for the England Lions and in domestic T20 competitions. Coles is regarded as one of England’s brightest young prospects and now has an opportunity to make his international debut against one of the strongest white-ball teams in the world.
Harry Brook will captain England in the five-match series, although his preparations could be slightly delayed due to England’s ongoing Test commitments.
Brook is currently leading England in the Test series against New Zealand, with the third and final Test scheduled to conclude on June 29 in Nottingham. Just two days later, England will begin their T20I campaign against India at Chester-le-Street.
Despite the tight schedule, England have largely retained the core group that featured in the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
The squad includes several experienced white-ball players, including Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran and Jacob Bethell.
England have also continued to back a number of younger players as they build towards future ICC tournaments. Rehan Ahmed, Jordan Cox, Josh Tongue and Sonny Baker are among the names retained for the series.
The selectors appear keen to maintain continuity while also giving emerging talent opportunities at international level.
England men’s selector Marcus North believes Coles has earned his opportunity after delivering consistently strong performances over the past year.
‘James Coles is an exciting addition and has earned his place following his performances with the England Lions and in T20 competitions here and abroad during the past 12 months.’
North also explained why England opted to name a larger group for the series.
‘We have selected a larger squad to accommodate the fact that this series will begin shortly after the Test series against New Zealand is due to conclude, which allows us to be flexible.’
The five-match series begins on July 1 at Chester-le-Street before moving across England over the next ten days.
1st T20I – July 1, Chester-le-Street
2nd T20I – July 4, Manchester
3rd T20I – July 7, Nottingham
4th T20I – July 9, Bristol
5th T20I – July 11, Southampton
The ECB has also adjusted match timings to improve television viewership. The first, third and fourth T20Is will begin at 10:00 PM IST, while the second and fifth matches will start at 7:00 PM IST.
Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wk), Phil Salt (wk), James Coles, Jordan Cox (wk), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood.