Reports: India squad picked for Ireland series to play first T20I against England

Hardik Pandya led India’s second-string squad to a 2-0 victory in the T20I series against Ireland. Despite the hosts coming ever so close in the final game, they fell four runs short and the Men in Blue sealed the series. Meanwhile, India’s Test side will be in action from July 1 at Edgbaston in Birmingham facing England in the rescheduled fifth and final Test of the series. The two teams are scheduled to lock horns in three T20Is and as many ODIs after the Test match.

India are likely to recall their first-choice players for the limited-overs leg of the tour. However, with a quick turnaround time between the final day of the Test and the first T20I, the selection committee led by Chetan Sharma has reportedly decided that the squad picked for the Ireland T20Is will play the series opener against England.

The players in the Test side will be given a three-day recovery period and will be picked from the second T20I which will be played on July 9 in Birmingham. “The squad that played T20I series in Ireland will remain in the first T20I and then from the second T20I, all the stars (Rohit, if fit, Kohli, Bumrah, Pant, Jadeja) will make a comeback. Once, they are well rested, all of them will be a part of the regular white ball side but most of the players in Ireland will remain till the end of the T20I series,” a source said according to The New Indian Express.

India have a couple of T20 warm-up matches to play

Meanwhile, India are also scheduled to play two T20 warm-up matches on July 1 and July 3 when the Test match will be in progress. This further clarifies the fact that the squad that won the Ireland series will be in action in these games as well. The visitors will be facing Derbyshire and Northamptonshire in the warm-up games respectively. It remains to be seen when the selectors officially announce the squad for the limited-overs leg of the England tour.