England are all ready to start their long-awaited white ball tour of India with a five-match T20I seriesstarting January 22, 2025, at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
England’s new chapter in white-ball cricket under Brendon McCullum
This series has a special meaning as it will mark the beginning of a new era under Brendon McCullumthe recently appointed England white-ball coach. McCullum, who revolutionized the England Test team with the “Bazball” approach, he is now tasked with injecting new energy into the team’s limited overs strategies.
After the T20Is, England will take part in a three-match ODI series as part of their preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025scheduled to take place in Pakistan later this year. The tour is expected to test England’s adaptability in subcontinental conditions and their ability to transition seamlessly between formats. For McCullum, this could be a golden opportunity to establish his philosophy in the shorter formats, building on England’s already formidable reputation in white-ball cricket.
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No Jos Buttler as England goalkeeper for India T20Is
In a significant development ahead of the T20I series, McCullum revealed that Yes butler, The England captain and one of the most versatile players in modern cricket will not be donning the wicketkeeper’s gloves. That means that responsibilities will be handed over to the only other option available on the team, i.e. Phil Saltwho has impressed as a wicketkeeper-batsman in recent outings. This decision stems from a combination of tactical considerations and Butler’s physical handling.
During a pre-series press conference at Eden Gardens, McCullum emphasized that this decision benefits the team in multiple ways. It reduces Buttler’s workload, allowing him to focus on his captaincy and batting responsibilities, while also giving Salt a consistent role to grow as a reliable gloveman. Salt’s dual ability with bat and gloves adds balance to the team, ensuring England remain flexible in their lineup setup.
“It’s a little early for that conversation. Look, what he won’t do is he won’t keep wickets in this series. He’ll catch them from the field and I think that’s a really positive thing for us because it gives Josh the opportunity to have the last word with the thrower and build that relationship in that last second instead of being 22 yards away. And we also have excellent options to stay within the team.” McCullum said.
“I think as far as T20 is concerned, we can expect to be near the top of the order. Working out the complexities of this will be worked out over the next 48 hours before we get into it. Look, we have a really good team. We have a lot of flexibility within the group. We have a lot of options that we can turn to. “We’re just trying to make sure we’re able to rebuild everything, which gives us the best.” McCullum concluded.