India vs England Dream11 Team Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tips & Playing-11 Updates for 1st T20I - March 12th, 2021

The first of five T20Is between India and England starts at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.

After a pulsating Test series, India and England lock horns once again, albeit in the shortest format of the game. With an eye on the ICC T20 World Cup later this year, both teams will look to zero in on their best sides for the marquee tournament.

England come into the series after a stunning performance in South Africa. With a decent blend of youth and experience, the visitors start the series as the marginal favourites, despite the hosts having a stellar record at home.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli and co have a lot of food for thought, especially with their batting unit. With a couple of spots up for grabs, the Indian think-tank will want to come with a fix without compromising on a win in the series. Although India won't have the services of Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return will bring much-needed experience and skill in the death overs.

Team Headshots done right ✅Getting all prepped up for the T20Is 🤙🏻😎#TeamIndia #INDvENG @paytm pic.twitter.com/weNZEmCx13

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 10, 2021

Both teams look evenly matched on paper, although England hold the edge owing to their superior depth and balance. However, India aren't pushovers by any means and will also fancy their chances of starting the series with a win.

The firepower in this squad 🤯@Eoin16 💥 @JasonRoy20 💥 @JofraArcher 💥 @jbairstow21 💥 @sambillings 💥 🇮🇳 #INDvENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/22phXm5ip1

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 10, 2021

With both sides looking to start the series on a winning note, a riveting contest could possibly beckon on Friday.

Click here for live cricket score and ball-by-ball commentary.

---

Squads to choose from:

India

Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakravarthy, T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini.

England

Eoin Morgan (C), Dawid Malan, Liam Livingstone, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Chris Jordan and Reece Topley.

---

Predicted Playing 11s

India

Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Navdeep Saini.

England

Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (WK), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan (C), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan and Reece Topley/Mark Wood.

---

Match Details

Match: India vs England, 1st T20I.

Date: 12th March 2021; 7:00 PM IST.

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

---

Pitch Report

An even contest beckons in Ahmedabad, as the average first-innings score in seven Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games at this venue this year was 139 runs. The pitch is slightly on the slower side. So the spinners have largely ruled the roost, but pacers should get the ball to move around a bit under the lights.

However, a fresh pitch on offer could even the odds for the batsmen, who will need to curb their attacking instincts initially. Wickets in hand could be key, with the large dimensions of the ground likely to favour the bowlers.

Both teams should look to chase under lights, with 160 runs likely to be a competitive total.

---

India vs England 1st T20I Dream11 Fantasy Suggestions

India vs England 1st T20I Dream11 Tips

Fantasy Suggestion #1: Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Chris Jordan.

Captain: Jos Buttler. Vice-Captain: Rohit Sharma.

Fantasy Suggestion #2: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Eoin Morgan, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Chris Jordan.

Captain: Virat Kohli. Vice-Captain: Jos Buttler.