IND vs ENG: Ravichandran Ashwin picks his Indian XI for the first T20I against England, no place for Ravi Bishnoi

IND vs ENG: Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has announced his playing XI for the first T20I against England. The match between the two teams is all set to take place on Wednesday (22nd January) at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

India and England will be locking horns with each other in the five-match T20I series. Both teams have a mixed combination of seniors and youngsters in the team, and with the way they have played of late, it's fair to say that it will be an exciting series to watch. 

Coming to the first T20I, Ravichandran Ashwin backed Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma to open the innings for the team. The duo has been doing a decent job together as an opener and would be hoping to carry on the same form in the upcoming first match. 

Sanju Samson was at his exceptional best in the T20Is last year as he slammed three tons. While on the other hand, Abhishek Sharma hasn't been able to maintain consistency. Hence the series will be extremely important for him with the bat. 

At No.3, Ravichandran Ashwin picked Tilak Varma. The left-hander oozed his class with the bat in the last series against South Africa. He batted at No.3 and slammed two back-to-back centuries. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, as per Ashwin, will bat at No.4.

Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel are the three all-rounders picked by Ravichandran Ashwin in his Indian XI for the first IND vs ENG T20I. They are expected to play a major role with the bat and ball. 

Rinku Singh also has been picked by Ravichandran Ashwin in his Indian XI for the first IND vs ENG team. He will be taking the role of finisher while there was no place for Ravi Bishnoi, who hard has put a foot wrong in his T20I career. Varun Chakravarthy will be there as per Ashwin. 

Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh are the two fast bowlers picked by Ravichandran Ashwin for the first IND vs ENG XI. Shami will be making his comeback to the team after a year, while Arshdeep will be keen to make an impact. 

IND vs ENG: Ravichandran Ashwin's Indian XI for the first T20I 

Here's Ravichandran Ashwin's Indian XI for the first T20I 

Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami

Also Read: Arshdeep Singh on the verge become the greatest Indian fast bowler in T20Is