3 player battles to watch out for in IND vs ENG ODI series 2025 ft. Shreyas Iyer vs Adil Rashid 

India and England are set to play a three-match ODI series after swapping up the five-match T20I series recently. The white-ball heavyweights have enough firepower in both batting and bowling departments for the series to be a closely contested, and an entertaining one.

England's last series win in India came in 1985, and they have had a poor record in the subcontinent of late. They have won only four out of the 18 ODI matches played in India since 2010, with one match being a tied affair.

Jos Buttler and company also do not have good form under their belt. The 1-4 series defeat in the T20Is was demoralizing, to say the least, but their woes are compounded if their results in the format are considered. England recorded series losses to Australia and the West Indies after their woeful 2023 ODI World Cup campaign in the subcontinent.

India have not played much ODI cricket of late but several out-of-form players, an undercooked Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah's absence might play a role in the fate of the series.

The first ODI between the two sides is scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 6 in Nagpur. On that note, let us take a look at three player battles to watch out for in the IND vs ENG ODI series 2025.

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#1 Shreyas Iyer vs Adil Rashid

A crucial player battle is loading between one of the best players of spin in the Indian batting unit against one of the best white-ball spinners currently.

Adil Rashid showcased his ability to dominate the middle overs with his control and pace variation during the T20I series. He is capable of having some grip in the ODI series too, and India will have to be on the alert to avoid a potential collapse in the middle overs. It was a phase where India lost the series to Sri Lanka, as they failed to come up with an answer against the spinners.

Given Shreyas Iyer's impeccable footwork, and his ability to attack the spinners to unsettle their rhythm, he is the best option for India to keep things ticking in the middle overs.

The right-handed batter has only been up against the England spinner once, where he faced only four deliveries, scoring two runs.

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#2 Harry Brook vs Kuldeep Yadav

Harry Brook's trial against spin is set for another chapter in the subcontinent. He had a forgettable T20I series, losing his wickets to Varun Chakvarathy thrice and Ravi Bishnoi twice. The batter is not expected to be spared in the longer format, though he has the luxury of more time under his belt.

Harry Brook particularly had difficulty in reading the variations of the spinners in the subcontinent. He will be presented with the same issue when he faces left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Capable of turning the ball into and away from the batters, the spinner could pose Brook some serious trouble.

The pair are yet to face each other in ODIs, but their limited interaction in the T20 circuit paints a picture. Brook scored 13 runs in nine deliveries in his sole face-off against Kuldeep Yadav but also lost his wicket.

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#3 Rohit Sharma vs Jofra Archer

The Indian skipper comes into the series following a forgettable run of form in red-ball cricket. The shattering home season, followed by the Border-Gavaskar series, followed by the sole outing in the Ranji Trophy has taken a severe toll on his confidence. He returns to his favored format, but arguably under the worst of circumstances.

Jofra Archer had a mixed T20I series, but his pace and rhythm were right up there, and he did trouble Sanju Samson with bouncers consistently. The Indian skipper was recently troubled by some solid pace bowling in the Ranji Trophy clash against Jammu and Kashmir.

Furthermore, Rohit Sharma has been cagey against Jofra Archer in the past when it comes to ODIs. The pair have crossed paths just once in the format, with the opening batter scoring 13 runs off 24 deliveries without losing his wicket.

Despite his lack of form, the Hitman is the ideal candidate to take down the England spearhead. His aggressive approach helped the middle order to play their game without any added pressure. From Archer's perspective, he will look to pin down the opening batter, capitalize on the poor form, and look to snare him early with the new ball.

The player battle between Phil Salt and Arshdeep Singh also promises to be a riveting one. An extension of their face-offs from the T20I series, the tussle between the opening batter and the left-arm pacer could be crucial in setting a tone for the innings. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Salt twice in the T20I series, and the England opener will have to find a solution to survive the new ball assault.