India's strongest playing XI for the T20I series against England

Middle Order: Virat Kohli (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk)

Suryakumar Yadav has finally gotten a call-up to the Indian cricket team

Captain Virat Kohli is expectedly the No. 3 batsman in this XI. The 32-year-old hasn't scored an international century in over a year, although Indian fans will hope that the scenario is different after the 3rd and 4th Tests.

Coming in at No. 4 is Suryakumar Yadav, who is primed to make his debut after getting a call-up that has been delayed beyond measure. Yadav has waited years for this moment, and he'll be eager to grab this opportunity with both hands.

Shreyas Iyer hasn't put too many feet wrong in T20s - he led his IPL team Delhi Capitals to the final, and put in a Man of the Match performance against New Zealand last year. But a couple of disappointing outings are all it takes to be dropped in this age of cut-throat selection.

The wicket-keeping gloves have been donned by KL Rahul in T20I cricket recently, but Rishabh Pant's markedly improved glovesmanship could mean that he finds himself behind the stumps once again. The southpaw has a poor record in the format, but he's in great form and high on confidence.

Pant is primed to have a great series, with his U-19 captain Ishan Kishan now breathing down his neck for a spot in the side.

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All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar

Hardik Pandya seems fit to bowl

With reports coming in that Hardik Pandya is now fit enough to bowl 4 overs on a regular basis, he will be even more valuable to the team than he was against Australia. The all-rounder, batting at No. 6, will play the finisher's role in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja. He will also serve as the fourth seam option, or third if the pitch in Ahmedabad offers a lot of turn.

India T20I regular Washington Sundar slots in at No. 7 in this strongest XI. The off-spinning all-rounder hasn't contributed with the bat much in T20I cricket, and he'll be keen on changing that in this series. Always consistent and economical with the ball, he'll give his skipper a powerplay spin-bowling option.