England wicketkeeper to miss first 2 matches, spinner stays back in India for IND vs ENG 2025 ODIs: Reports

England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith has been ruled out of the first two ODIs against India due to a calf injury, according to a report by Telegraph Sport. The 24-year-old recently made his T20I debut during the five-match series against India which concluded on Sunday, February 2.

Smith played the second and third T20Is, replacing Jacob Bethell in the process. He scored 28 runs in two matches and did not play in the final two games. In the absence of the injured Jos Buttler, he played as a wicketkeeper-batter in the home series against Australia in September.

England do have two wicketkeeper-batters in their current setup in the form of Phil Salt and Buttler. The England skipper has not donned the gloves since his return from a calf injury and played as a pure batter in the recently concluded T20I series too.

Salt has only played three ODIs as a wicketkeeper, and those appearances came during England's recent tour of the West Indies.

The report also mentions that leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has been asked to stay back for the ODI series. He was initially not a part of England's squad for the ODI series against India and the Champions Trophy 2025 and was set to return home upon the culmination of the T20I series.

England had only included one frontline spinner in their T20I side. The move backfired as Adil Rashid lacked support from the other end, while Buttler did not avail enough opportunities to introduce spin bowling all-rounders Liam Livingstone or Jacob Bethell over the course of the series.

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First ODI between India and England scheduled to be held on February 6

India and England head into the three-match ODI series with one eye on the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The series opener is set to take place on Thursday, February 6, in Nagpur.

England have not fared well in the 50-over format since the 2023 ODI World Cup. They lost six matches in the subcontinent during the campaign and failed to qualify for the semi-finals. Since then, they have recorded three consecutive series losses against the West Indies (twice) and Australia.