World champions India look to experiment and rebuild for the 2026 T20 World Cup as they host England in a five-match series.
World champions India host England in a five-match T20 series as they begin preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026 with one eye on the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
India’s winning streak in the shortest format of the game has seen them wrap up every bilateral T20 series since August 2023 and captain Suryakumar Yadav will look to build on his new-look team’s success before their co-hosted T20 World Cup in February 2026.
The hosts have hinted at taking a “flexible” approach in the upcoming series, with newly appointed vice-captain Axar Patel saying his team will be open to the idea of experimenting with a floating batting line-up.
“The openers are fixed, but everyone from numbers three to seven have been told that they can come into bat anytime, in any situation,” Patel said in his pre-series comments on Monday.
“Our middle order will come to bat depending on the match situation, what kind of bowlers are bowling at the time, which match-up works well. We have spoken about how we can all be floaters.”
Patel said India are aware of the short gap between the two T20 World Cups and they want to carry their winning streak to the next edition.
“Momentum is a big thing because if you start well, you can carry it. We finished 2024 well so we want to carry the momentum into this series too.
“But we’ve discussed that the past is past; however, we want to move ahead with the positives we gained from there. We have taken forward the points that brought us success.”
Meanwhile, England’s form in the T20 format has taken a dip since their appearance in the semifinal of the last World Cup in June.
Jos Buttler’s side will hope the presence of young all-rounder Jacob Bethell, as well as wicketkeeper Jamie Smith will provide an extra punch to their batting line-up.
The series marks England’s first limited-overs tour under Brendon McCullum, previously in charge only of the Test side.
“I’m desperate for us to play a really watchable brand of cricket,” McCullum told reporters. “With the talent we have, there’s no reason we can’t.”
McCullum said Buttler, who will only play as a batter and not keep wicket on the tour, will leave a lasting legacy as England’s white-ball leader.
“He’s in a really good space, he’s excited about the team we’ve got, and excited about the opportunity that sits in front of us,” the former New Zealand skipper said.
Here’s all you need to know about the upcoming T20 series:
United Arab Emirates Dirham Exchange Rate
