The first match of the T20 series between India and England will be played on January 22 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Both teams have a lineup of star players who can change the course of the match in just a few balls. The last T20 match between these two teams was during the 2024 T20 World Cup, where India defeated England by 68 runs in the semi-final. Now, both teams will face off once again. Let’s take a look at how the pitch at Kolkata’s ground might assist the teams.
Eden Gardens Pitch Report
The pitch at Eden Gardens has always been a paradise for batters. The ball comes onto the bat with a good bounce, making it easier for batting and resulting in plenty of fours and sixes. If dew comes into play, it may pose problems for the bowlers. For this reason, India may opt to go with 2 spinners and 3 fast bowlers in their playing eleven. The pitch at Kolkata can offer more help to the batters.
Toss Could Play a Key Role
A total of 12 T20 International matches have been played at Eden Gardens, with 5 of them being won by the team batting first and 7 by the team bowling first. Thus, the toss could play a crucial role. The average score for the first innings on this ground is 155 runs, while the average score for the second innings is 137 runs.
Pakistan Holds the Record for Highest Total
Pakistan holds the record for the highest total in a T20I at this ground, having scored 201 runs against Bangladesh in 2016. On the other hand, Bangladesh has the record for the lowest total, making just 70 runs against New Zealand in the same year.
India holds the record for both the highest successful chase and the lowest score defended at this venue. India successfully chased down a target of 162 runs against West Indies in 2022.
Squads for the T20 Series:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel (Vice-Captain), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper).
England: Jos Buttler (Captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethel, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.