World champions India host England in a five-match T20 series as they begin preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026 with one eye on the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.India’s winning streak in the shortest format of the game has seen them wrap up every bilateral T20 series since August 2023 and captain Suryakumar Yadav will look to build on his new-look team’s success before their co-hosted T20 World Cup in February 2026.
The hosts have hinted at taking a “flexible” approach in the upcoming series, with newly appointed vice-captain Axar Patel saying his team will be open to the idea of experimenting with a floating batting line-up.
“The openers are fixed, but everyone from numbers three to seven have been told that they can come into bat anytime, in any situation,” Patel said in his pre-series comments on Monday.
“Our middle order will come to bat depending on the match situation, what kind of bowlers are bowling at the time, which match-up works well. We have spoken about how we can all be floaters.”
Axar Patel has been appointed India’s T20 vice-captain [Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP]
Patel said India are aware of the short gap between the two T20 World Cups and they want to carry their winning streak to the next edition. Advertisement
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