3 things to look forward to in the 3rd India vs England T20I ft. Sanju Samson's form

India and England will lock horns in the third T20I of the five-match series in Rajkot on Tuesday, January 28. The Men in Blue currently hold a 2-0 advantage in the rubber and are close to sealing it outright.

The series has thrown up a couple of interesting contests so far. While the opening T20I was a comfortable chase from the hosts, they slipped up in the second encounter to nearly fall short. But Tilak Varma's rearguard effort ensured that India got over the line and maintained their stellar form in the shortest format.

India’s updated squad for the T20I series against England: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shivam Dube, Ramandeep Singh.

In Rajkot, another exciting encounter between two world-class white-ball teams is on the cards. On that note, here are three things to look forward to in the third T20I between India and England.

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#3 Will India play an additional pacer?

England Tour Of India : India Practice Session Ahead Of First T20 Match In Kolkata. - Source: Getty

So far, Arshdeep Singh has been India's sole specialist fast bowler. The support staff have been asked regularly about Mohammed Shami, who is yet to make his international comeback after a spate of injuries.

Shami's return shouldn't be too far away, with the fast bowler being an integral cog of the setup ahead of the ODI series against England as well as the Champions Trophy. It'll be interesting to see whether the think tank deems him fit enough to feature in Rajkot.

If he plays, Shami will have all eyes on his form and fitness.

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#2 Rajkot promises a flat track

India v England - 2nd T20I - Source: Getty

Kolkata and Chennai were expected to throw up two belters, but the 200-run mark hasn't been breached in the series so far. England, while batting first, haven't been able to get anywhere close to that mark.

In Rajkot, that is likely to change. The venue produced some high-scoring games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and is bound to present a flat track for India and England's power hitters to make merry.

Both teams have dynamic batters from top to bottom in their lineup, but we haven't been treated to a run-fest so far. That might not be too far away.

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#1 Can Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav impress?

India v England - 2nd T20I - Source: Getty

Speaking of dynamic batters, two of India's best haven't delivered so far in the series. Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav, who can win any T20 game on their own, haven't spent enough time at the crease to make an impact.

Their form will be one of the most interesting storylines of the third T20I. Suryakumar returns to the venue where he smashed his first international century, while Samson will be keen on making the most of the ground's dimensions and fast outfield.