India vs England 2026 1st ODI Playing 11 and Best Team Preview
With a revamped squad, explore the India vs England 1st ODI best 2026 predicted playing 11 and team preview for both teams.
India vs England 1st ODI Playing 11 2026: Key Takeaways
- Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah return as India field a near full-strength ODI squad for the crucial World Cup preparation series against England.
- Shivam Dube is expected to replace the injured Hardik Pandya, while India’s settled top five remains Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul.
- England are likely to field a balanced XI featuring Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid, making it a closely contested series.
- The three-match ODI series serves as a key rehearsal for the 2027 ODI World Cup, with both teams looking to finalise their strongest combinations.
Key Match Details
Tournament: England vs India 2026
Match Details: 1st ODI Match
Where: Birmingham
When: July 14, 3:30 pm IST
Just weeks after winning a second consecutive T20 World Cup, Team India have endured an unexpected slump, losing six consecutive T20Is. The defeat not only exposed several weaknesses, but also marked a difficult start to Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy tenure. With a disappointing 0-4 loss against England in the T20I series, the next assignment is another important one for the Indian team as they gear up for the ODIs.
The 3-match ODI series will be a blueprint preparation for the upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup. However, unlike the T20I squad, which relied more on flash batters like Vaibhav, Abhishek, Kishan, etc., the ODI team is equipped with technical batters who mostly play to the situation. So, be it Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, or Shreyas Iyer, all are technically sound batters.
But will it be easy for Team India to defeat England, and for that matter England to defeat India? Well, definitely not. Both teams are highly equipped with potential batters, and even though England have the home advantage, the return of Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and others will not make things as easy for England as they had looked in the T20Is. So, with the first ODI almost there, let’s look at the India vs England 1st ODI Playing 11 2026 and best team preview.
India vs England 2026 Official ODI Series Squad List for Indian Team
Batters
- Rohit Sharma
- Shreyas Iyer (vc)
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Virat Kohli
Wicket-keepers
- Ishan Kishan
- KL Rahul
All-rounders
- Axar Patel
- Suryansh Shedge
- Washington Sundar
Bowlers
- Arshdeep Singh
- Harshit Rana
- Gurnoor Brar
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Prasidh Krishna
Team India vs England ODI Series Best Playing 11 Explained
If we look at the squad of the Indian team for the ODIs, barring Hardik Pandya, this looks an almost settled squad. The team sees the return of their most favoured and in-form batters, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, etc. The team also sees the return of Jasprit Bumrah, without whom the Indian team’s bowling looked completely in shambles. There’s also Kuldeep Yadav’s spin and Gurnoor Brar’s pace that can be lethal in the ODIs.
With so many changes in the squad from the one that played T20Is, it is natural we will see a revamped playing 11 in the ODI series. Starting with the batting lineup, India have a solid top 5, and almost a predefined one without any debate. So, we look at Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma as openers, followed by Virat Kohli at 3, Shreyas Iyer at 4, and KL Rahul at 5, who will also donn the wicket-keeping duties.
Finishers is the area where the Indian team will miss the services of Hardik Pandya. Hardik was undoubtedly two players in one, but with him not there, India will have to play Shivam Dube, being the only pace All-rounder in the team. Dube could be handy as the sixth bowling option. With Dube at 6, Axar at 7 looks a likely candidate. With England pitches not offering much assistance to spinners, Sundar may be left out of the squad.
Jasprit Bumrah Returns to Bolster the Bowling Attack
Coming to the bowling lineup, the return of Jasprit Bumrah gives a strong boost to the Indian team. Bumrah shall lead the bowling attack with support from Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh as frontline bowling options. With Harshit Rana expected to miss out from the Playing XI, India are likely to hand Gurnoor Brar the fourth seamer’s role. In case India need batting depth, they can play Sundar, but that move looks unlikely.
Overall, India’s playing 11 looks better than what we had seen in the T20Is – especially the bowling lineup. While this ain’t the most perfect playing 11, it still looks strong to beat any team in the world. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah should significantly strengthen India’s chances. India will also be expecting a lot from RoKo, who now play only one format for the Indian team.
India vs England 2026 1st ODI Playing 11 for Indian Team
- Rohit Sharma
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Shivam Dube
- Axar Patel
- Gurnoor Brar
- Arshdeep Singh
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Jasprit Bumrah
England vs India 2026 Official ODI Series Squad List for Eng Team
Batters
- Harry Brook (C)
- Joe Root
Wks
- Jos Buttler
- Tom Banton
- Ben Duckett
All-rounders
- Jacob Bethell
- James Coles
- Sam Curran
- Liam Dawson
- Will Jacks
- Rehan Ahmed
Bowlers
- Jofra Archer
- Gus Atkinson
- Saqib Mahmood
- Adil Rashid
- Josh Tongue
England are expected to make only two changes from their T20I 11, with Ben Duckett and Joe Root returning to the ODI setup. In place of Phil Salt, Ben Duckett should come in, and in place of Tom Banton, Joe Root should come in. Jos Buttler should be back to playing the finisher role at 5. Whereas for the opening slot alongside Duckett, we should either see Joe Root or Jacob Bethell. The bowling attack looks identical, with Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, Josh Tongue, Sam Curran, and Will Jacks as the primary bowlers.
India vs England 2026 1st ODI Playing 11 for Eng Team
- Ben Duckett
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook (c)
- Jacob Bethell
- Jos Buttler (wk)
- Will Jacks
- Sam Curran
- Liam Dawson
- Jofra Archer
- Adil Rashid
- Josh Tongue
Overall, India appear significantly stronger in the ODI format with the return of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. England will enjoy home advantage, but India’s experience and balanced bowling attack make them slight favourites heading into the opening ODI.
Also Read: Team India Best Playing 11 if they Field 4 T20I Squads at Once
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