India are touring England in a white-ball series, which starts with the first of five T20I matches, at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, July 1.
The Three
Lions have been a team that has over the years given India problems in the shortest format. They have over the last few years established themselves as a T20 powerhouse, making the semifinals of the last five T20 World Cups, winning the trophy in 2022. They have a plethora T20 stars, with their squad comprising of exhilarating batters and searing bowlers, who could pose a threat to the team in blue.
Here are 3 English players who can trouble India in the T20I series
3. Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler has been England's batting stalwart in the shortest format for a long time. He had a dismal T20 World Cup campaign, scoring just 87 runs in eight games, and aged 35, looked well past his best. He reversed his fortunes when he returned to the IPL, scoring 526 runs in 17 games at a strike rate of 152.46 as his Gujarat Titans side made the finals. With Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill, Buttler formed the backbone of the team, which did the heavy-lifting in terms of scoring runs.
Buttler has averaged 31 and has struck at 143.87 against India, and will be looking to build on his record. He has slotted back in at the top of the order after a short stint at number 3 and has looked refreshed after giving over the captaincy reins to Harry Brook.
2) Jofra Archer
England's pace spearhead Jofra Archer has re-established himself as a feared fast bowler. He comes into this series as one of the top bowlers in the IPL, which was followed by a stellar run in the Test series against New Zealand. He was the Rajasthan Royals’ premier strike bowler, picking up 25 wickets in 16 matches, bowling at an economy of 9.31. Playing just two Tests against the Kiwis, he was England’s Player of the Series with 11 wickets.
Archer has an above-par record against India, having picked up 15 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 9.47. He will be looking to better that record and play his role in leading Harry Brook’s side to victory. Coming off a long injury lay-off, Archer has slowly emerged once more as one of England's most threatening all-format players, and will be expected to lead the attack with his blistering pace.
1) Jacob Bethell
England starlet Jacob Bethell has taken the world by storm in the last six months, establishing himself as a consistent all-format presence for the Three Lions. He has been the talk of much public discourse and outrage among cricketing circles due to his persistence to continue with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL despite being limited to a backup role. He had an under-par outing against New Zealand, with just one half-century being the 74 he scored in the third Test.
The last time Bethell faced India in a T20I was the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final, where he scored a valiant 105 off just 48 balls, almost taking the Three Lions home in a chase of 253. With a chip on his shoulder and a need to score runs, Bethell will be looking to use this series as a platform to get his form going.
