India vs England, 1st ODI: Five players to watch out for

The Champions Trophy is just around the corner. For the first time since 2017, the tournament is getting a reboot as eight of the top-ranked sides will arrive in Pakistan and UAE to challenge for a coveted, high-stakes trophy. Prior to the Champions Trophy though, India will take on England in a three-game bi-lateral series which starts on the 6th of February. 

Lots to look forward to with this bilateral series between India and England, with many old faces being reintroduced to the squad, while the existing players try to find some form once again. Here’s a look at five players to watch out for in the first ODI between India and England in Nagpur. 

India vs England, 1st ODI: Five players to watch out for 

1. Rohit Sharma

The Indian skipper has been a bit out of form for the past couple of months, having a mediocre tour to Australia and a dismal return to Ranji cricket as well. Nevertheless, the head coach Gautam Gambhir has instilled the team’s faith in their skipper and Sharma would be keen to get firing once again in his preferred format. Rohit Sharma gave India fiery starts in all but two games of the 2023 ODI World Cup, setting the tone for the rest of the team. He averages an impressive 57.87 while playing ODIs at home, and would be itching to improve on those numbers. 

2. Virat Kohli

Just like the skipper, the former India skipper Virat Kohli too has hit a lean patch, especially in red-ball cricket. His Test form has hit a stupor and his much-celebrated Ranji return saw him get out for just six runs. However, Virat Kohli is a different beast when it comes to ODI cricket. He is a master at pacing his innings and chasing down intimidating targets. Kohli has the most hundreds ever in this format, and he was also the Player of the Tournament in the 2023 World Cup. With a billion people hoping and praying for the King to get back to form, perhaps this ODI series against England comes at just the right time. 

3. Joe Root

Joe Root wasn’t part of the T20I series against India but returns now for the ODI format. He has been in splendid form in the SA20 League, averaging 55.8 at a strike rate of over 140. Root has been the perfect anchor player in this England team that is often known to be in all-out attack mode. Root has an ODI average of 47.6 and is coming off a good patch in the SA20 and a fruitful Test series against New Zealand. The visiting fans would hope that the former England skipper can replicate the same form in the ODIs as well. 

4. Phil Salt

Phil Salt has been one of the mainstays of this England setup in the last couple of years, even captaining the T20I side in Jos Buttler’s absence. He had a subpar T20I series, with three scores under 10 runs but showed some shoots of form with a fifty in the final T20I. Phil Salt had a good IPL in 2024 and is generally well-suited to playing on these Indian decks. He remains a crucial member of Brendon McCullum’s setup for the Champions Trophy, and the English would hope that the wicketkeeper-batter can find some momentum from these three ODIs to take into the Champions Trophy. 

5. Shreyas Iyer

The Mumbai batter has had a very dramatic last year in cricket. Iyer lost his central contract and was dropped from the Test team. He however silenced his doubters by winning the Ranji Trophy and the 2024 IPL. The flashy batter also captained Mumbai to victory in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. After a solid domestic season and a return to the ODI team, good performances here against England could just be Shreyas Iyer’s moment of reckoning for team India.