India will be looking to continue their domination over England when the two teams take on each other in the first ODI of the three-match series. The match is scheduled to be played on Thursday (February 6) at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.
The momentum is with India after their thumping 4-1 win in the T20Is. In the last T20I, India completely outplayed England, thrashing them by 150 runs to end the series on a high note.
With form on their side, India will be looking to start the ODI series on a winning note. And as they gear up for the series-opener, we are taking a look at the India Playing 11 for the 1st IND vs ENG ODI.
India Playing 11 vs England – 1st ODI, England tour of India 2025:
Openers: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are expected to be the openers in the India Playing 11 for the first ODI. While Yashasvi Jaiswal is also in the squad, Gill is expected to get the nod ahead of him.
Gill had opened the innings for India in their last ODI assignment which was the series in Sri Lanka and is likely to partner Rohit at the top of the order once again.
However, with Jaiswal waiting in the wings, Gill just cannot afford too many poor outings with the bat. With the Champions Trophy also set to take place later this month, Gill would be keen to make the most of his chances in the upcoming series.
On the other hand, Rohit will be keen to lead the team from the front. He has been under severe pressure for his poor batting displays in recent times and will be desperate to deliver with the bat against England.
After failing to impress in the Test series against New Zealand and Australia, Rohit recently underperformed in the Ranji Trophy as well.
Middle-order batsmen and allrounders: Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel
Just like Rohit Sharma, former India skipper Virat Kohli is also under immense pressure. The batting star had forgettable outings in the Test series against New Zealand and Australia and recently failed to do well in the Ranji Trophy game as well. Playing for Delhi against Railways, the right-handed batsman was out for just 6 runs.
While Kohli is still an important member of the India Playing 11, he cannot afford many slipups now as the call to drop him has increased in recent times.
The other middle-order batsmen in the India Playing 11 for the first ODI are expected to be KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. Rahul impressed one and all with his batting in Australia and will be eyeing another good outing in the upcoming series.
While Rishabh Pant is also expected to be in the India Playing 11, Rahul could get the nod for the wicketkeeping thanks to his brilliant performance in the 2023 World Cup. Iyer, on the other hand, last played for India during the ODI series in Sri Lanka in August and will be keen to hit the ground running.
Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel are expected to be the two all-rounders in the India Playing 11 for the 1st IND vs ENG ODI. Both Pandya and Axar impressed in the recently concluded T20I series against England and would look to impress in the ODIs as well.
Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami
India are likely to have two specialist pacers and one spinner in the India Playing 11 for the first ODI. Kuldeep Yadav is expected to be the spinner with Axar being the other spin bowling option. With Jasprit Bumrah unavailable, Arshdeep Singh is likely to partner Mohammed Shami as the new ball partner.
