Indian squad for Ireland tour to remain unchanged for first T20I against England

The fixtures keep coming thick and fast for Team India. Shortly after the short tour of Ireland, the senior team will take charge of the England tour. Without regular skipper Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya led a second-string Indian side to a 2-0 series victory over Ireland. India will now face England for the 'postponed' fifth Test starting on July 1 (Friday). 

Just a couple of days after the fifth Test is scheduled to end, the white-ball leg of the tour gets underway. The first T20I will be played in Southampton on July 7 before moving to Birmingham and Nottingham for the rest of the series. 

Considering the short period between the two formats, the selection committee has reportedly decided to rest the senior squad for the first T20I. This means that the team named for the Ireland tour will play the opening fixture before the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli mark their return.

The whole point of playing the second-string side against England is to allow the senior members to gain additional rest. Moreover, a three-match ODI series after the conclusion of the 20-over format will also add to the players' workload. 

"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.

While the Test match takes its course, India is scheduled to play two warm-up T20 games. On July 1, the visitors will face Derbyshire before locking horns against Northamptonshire on Sunday. Fans will be eager to hear an official announcement from BCCI regarding the limited-overs squad for the England tour.