Leg and off: Should India make any changes to their playing XI for 2nd IND vs ENG 2025 T20I?

Team India beat England comfortably by seven wickets in the opening T20I at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The second match is set to be played on Saturday, January 25, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The hosts will be eager to carry forward the momentum and further build on their lead in the series. As for England, the visitors will look to bounce back from their defeat and level the series.

In the first T20I, the visitors were asked to bat first and were bundled out for just 132 as India put up a clinical display with the ball. The Men in Blue then chased down the total with absolute ease, getting over the line in just 12.5 overs, steamrolling the English bowling attack.

Ahead of the second game, it will be interesting to see if the hosts make any changes to the playing XI for the upcoming T20I in Chennai.

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Will India play Mohammed Shami in the second T20I?

Mohammed Shami missed out on the first T20I and was not a part of India's playing XI in Kolkata. His fitness could be a reason behind him not playing the opening match of the series.

However, India could make a possible change to the line-up in the second T20I by bringing the pacer in for leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi. They played with three spinners in Kolkata but Arshdeep Singh was the only frontline seamer. With Hardik Pandya proving expensive, the Men in Blue might want to have another frontline pacer in the line-up.

Although, if Shami still remains unfit to take the field, the hosts could also look at Harshit Rana, who is a part of the squad, as the extra pacer. Harshit has played two Test matches for India but is yet to play a white-ball game for the country.

While he is expected to make his T20I debut in this series, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to do so in the next game or will have to wait for his opportunity.

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Washington Sundar in for Nitish Kumar Reddy?

The only other possible and required change India could make is to bring spin all-rounder Washington Sundar in and leave Nitish Kumar Reddy out. Nitish was a part of the playing XI in the first T20I in Kolkata but did not get the chance to bat or bowl.

Given the match is set to be played in Chennai, the hosts could bring in local boy Washington Sundar. Should Bishnoi sit out to accomodate a fast bowler, Sundar coming in will balance it out as India will still have three spinners in the line-up.

Moreover, Sundar has proved himself as a handy batter down the order and will add to the depth of the batting as well. He has played 52 T20Is in his career so far and has picked up 47 wickets at an average of 23.48 and an economy rate of 6.87. Sundar also has a half-century with the bat in T20Is.

With Nitish not bowling in the first game, Sundar could contribute more with the ball, especially with the match being played in Chennai, which is known to assist spinners.