World champions India will host England in a five-match T20 series as they begin preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup with an eye on the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
India's winning streak in the shortest format of the game ended every bilateral T20 series since August 2023, with captain Suryakumar Yadav set to co-host the T20 in February 2026 Building on the success of his new-look team ahead of the World Cup.
The hosts have hinted at a "flexible" approach in the upcoming series, with newly-appointed vice-captain Axar Patel saying his team would be open to the idea of experimenting with a floating batting line-up.
"The opener is fixed, but everyone from number three to seven has been told that they can play at any time, in any situation," Patel said in his pre-series comments on Monday.
"Our middle order is going to hit based on the game situation, the type of pitches being pitched at the time and what kind of plays work well. We've talked about what it takes to be a floater."
Patel said India realizes that the gap between two T20 World Cups is short and they want to extend their winning streak to the next one.
"Momentum is a big thing because if you start well you can stay motivated. We ended 2024 well so we want to carry that momentum into this series as well.
"But we have discussed that bygones are bygones and what should be done now is. "However, we hope to continue to capitalize on the positive outcomes from this. We have carried forward the key points that have brought us success. "
Meanwhile, England's performance in the T20 format has declined since their appearance in the semi-finals of the last World Cup in June.
Jos Buttler's side will be hoping that the emergence of young all-rounder Jacob Bethel and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith can provide an extra hit to their batting line-up.
The series marks England's first limited-overs tour under Brendon McCullum, who had previously only been in charge of the Test squad.
"I'm very hopeful that we can play a brand of cricket that's really worth watching," McCallum told reporters. “With the talent we have, there’s no reason we can’t do it.”
McCullum said Buttler, who will only play as a batsman on the tour and will not keep wickets, will leave a lasting legacy as England's white-ball leader.
"He's in a really good space and he's excited about the team we have and excited about the opportunities in front of us," the former New Zealand captain said.
Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming T20 series:
What is the complete match schedule for India vs England T20 series?
- First T20: Wednesday 22 January 7pm (13:30 GMT) – Eden Gardens, Kolkata
- Second T20: Saturday 25 January 7pm (13:30 GMT) – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
- Third T20: Tuesday, January 28, 7pm (13:30 GMT) – SCA Stadium, Rajkot
- Fourth T20: Friday 31 January 7pm (13:30 GMT) – MCA Stadium, Pune
- Fifth T20: Sunday 2 February 7pm (13:30 GMT) – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
India vs England: T20 head-to-head record
India's first T20 international against England took place in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, when power batsman Yuvraj Singh hit six sixes in a match against Stuart Broad (Stuart Broad).
The matches were evenly matched, with India winning 13 of the 24 games in the shortest format, including the final game of the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-finals in Guyana.
England defeated India in the remaining 11 T20 matches.
Table Guide: India
The world champions enter the series after beating South Africa 3-1 away and Bangladesh 3-0 at home. India has not lost a T20 series since August 2023.
The last five games (First, the most recent results): WWLWW
Table Guide: England
England defeated West Indies in the last bilateral T20 series but suffered a heavy defeat to the eventual champions in the semi-finals, ending the T20 World Cup.
England's last T20 victory over India was at the 2022 T20 World Cup and Buttler's side will be looking to emulate their winning form when they lifted the title in Australia.
Last five games: WWWL-NR (no results)
Team News: India
Wicketkeeper-opening batsman Sanju Samson solidified his place in the India T20 squad with a stellar performance in the series against South Africa.
In this series, veteran fast bowler Mohammad Shami will return after a long-term injury, while all-rounder Washington Sundar will also return after the Test tour of Australia.
Team: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (goalkeeper)
Team News: England
England's T20 squad has been set over the past few series but the two-time champions will be hoping to stay in contention ahead of the ODI series and Champions Trophy with the likes of Bethell, Brendan Cass and Jamie Smith.
Team: Jos Buttler (captain), Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Phil Salt (goalkeeper), Jamie Smith (goalkeeper), Jacob Bethell, Brendan Carnage Si, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
How to follow and live stream India vs England match?
Al Jazeera will provide full photo and text coverage of the T20 series, including pre-match preparations, full commentary stream and post-match talking points.
How do I buy tickets for India vs England T20 match?
Tickets for the series are on sale across multiple online platforms.