India vs England: T20I Series Predictions & Tips
England's white-ball team get their 2025 calendar underway with a five-match T20I series in India before the two teams square off in a three-match ODI series, ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19.
This will be a heavyweight clash between the last two winners of the Men's T20 World Cup with England having thrashed India by 10 wickets in the semi-finals en route to winning their second title in 2022.
Rohit Sharma's men gained their revenge with a convincing 68-run win of their own at the same stage of last year's tournament before going on to lift the trophy.
Although these two have split the last two games at the world showpiece, India hold the advantage in the overall head-to-head meetings with 13 wins to 11, while they have edged each of the last four T20 series albeit by margins of 2-1 (three times) and 3-2.
The first of five T20 matches gets underway at 13:00 on Wednesday in Kolkata, before subsequent games take place in Chennai, Rajkot, Pune and Mumbai.
Tip 1 - India to win series @ 12/25
England had, of course, been the dominant force in white-ball cricket, holding both the 50-over and T20 world crowns at the same time. However, the Three Lions have been on the slide since their most recent T20 success, performing well below expectations to meekly surrender both titles since.
India justified favouritism by finally winning their second T20 World Cup last year, having won the inaugural tournament in 2007, and with the Indian Premier League churning out talent year by year, they are seemingly set to remain the powerhouse in this format.
However, in the midst of a busy schedule along with the retirements of Rohit and Virat Kohli, there is a different look about the squad set to renew the rivalry with England next week.
There is an element of vulnerability about the hosts shorn of two legends of the game, but the depth of talent is second to none and there is little doubt that they have the firepower to be a massive danger to England's hopes of a morale-boosting win.
Suryakumar Yadav now leads the T20 side and has the tools to destroy any attack as England know only too well, with the powerful right-hander having smashed his first century and highest T20 score of 117 against them at Trent Bridge in 2022.
SKY averages 45.85 in eight matches against the tourists and will be key to his side's chances.
However, the batting depth is obvious with Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma both cracking two centuries each in the recent 3-1 series win in South Africa, while Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rinku Singh made valuable contributions against Bangladesh prior to that.
Home advantage will also help with India having won all seven series played on their shores since South Africa drew 2-2 there in 2022, while Australia were the last time to upset the hosts way back in 2019.
With the likes of Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Harry Brook in the line-up as well the pace of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood and the guile of Adil Rashid, England won't be short of belief.
And what is certainly in the tourists’ favour is the absence of India's star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who is not expected to play until at least the ODI series.
Mohammed Shami is finally over his injury nightmare to offset that loss for India to a degree, but Bumrah is arguably the world's finest and won't be easily replaced.
England have restored a little confidence by drawing with Australia and beating West Indies in their two series since the disappointing World Cup, and they can give Bumrah-less India a battle.
Tip 2 - England to win first T20I @ 27/20
At the prices, England looks worth backing to draw first blood in the series with a victory in the opening game at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
The Three Lions are well-rested and go into the series on the back of a 3-1 win in the West Indies in November in which Phil Salt continued his good form by striking the only century as he averaged 54.00 in four innings.
Salt has happy memories of Eden Gardens also having cracked 435 runs for the Kolkata Knight Riders as they won their third title.
Jacob Bethell enhanced his burgeoning reputation in the Caribbean with two fifties and averaging 127.00, and embodies the fearless approach that England like to take, emphasised by the likes of Buttler and Brook.
The sheer pace of their attack can cause plenty of problems while Rashid proves time and time again his artistry in the middle overs and the Three Lions just look a little too big to ignore in the shortest format.
England won the first T20 on their last tour of India despite going down in the series, and with those absences for the hosts, they look worth taking on as 3/5 favourites.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation