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Sanju Samson for India - (Source: AFP)
After a rain-washed opening game, the caravan has now moved to Manchester. India and England will lock horns against each other for the 2nd T20I on Saturday, July 4 at Old Trafford. The first match got abandoned after the first innings due to heavy rain.
The series is still 0-0, and both teams will look to get off the mark with a win in Manchester. Talking about the 1st T20I, India, batting first, struggled at the top, but Shreyas Iyer returned to form with a fifty. Shivam Dube’s explosive knock helped India put 189 runs on the board.
India vs England 2nd T20I Preview
For England, they have been handed a massive boost as Jofra Archer has joined the England camp and is expected to play the crucial 2nd T20I. Other than that, England are unlikely to make any changes to their playing XI.
For India, as expected, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was again asked to sit on the bench. However, Sanju Samson flopped for the 3rd time in a row, sparking a debate on social media, demanding changes in the playing XI. Therefore, this article will shed light on India’s predicted playing XI against England.
India Likely Playing XI vs England- 2nd T20I
Openers and Top Order (Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan)
Despite Sanju Samson’s three failures, Gautam Gambhir will continue to back the 2026 T20 World Cup player of the tournament. The India head coach has often expressed his views that a player must be given a long rope before making changes to the team.
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Therefore, Sanju Samson will open the innings with Abhishek Sharma, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his chance. Ishan Kishan is also going through a rough patch as he has been unlucky with two straight run-outs.
Middle Order and All Rounders (Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel)
Shreyas Iyer has returned to form with his brilliant knock in the 1st T20I. Notably, the newly appointed skipper broke the record for the highest individual score by a India captain against England in England.
Tilak Varma faced a lot of flak for his run-a-ball 13-run knock. However, the southpaw faces no immediate threat from the team management and will retain his place. Similarly, Shivam Dube had an excellent match, where he amassed 42 (21).
Rest, Axar Patel will be the all-rounder, who was prioritised ahead of Suryansh Shedge in the 1st T20I.
Bowlers (Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakarvarthy)
Since India didn’t get to bowl in the 1st T20I, the management won’t make any changes in the bowling department for the same reason.
Therefore, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, and Varun Chakaravarthy will be the four bowlers in the 2nd T20I. Varun and Ravi will play their first match of the UK tour on Saturday.
India Predicted Playing XI vs England- 2nd T20I
Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakarvarthy
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