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India will travel to England in June 2018 to play 3 T20s, 3 ODIs and 5 Tests from the 3rd of July to the 11th of September. This will be captain Virat Kohli's second tour to England, and probably his sternest test yet.
The series will be key to the team's future, as it will not just test the cricketers' abilities in difficult conditions abroad, but will also be a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Although much of the focus will be on the five-match Test series, as captain Kohli's boys attempt to win a first test series in England since 2007, the ODI series will be equally important as the Indian team prepare for the 2019 World Cup, which will be held in England.
India ODI Squad: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Siddarth Kaul, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Here's a look at the 11 most likely to take the field against the world's No. 1 ODI side.
Openers
#1 Shikhar Dhawan
The southpaw loves batting in English conditions, and will get another opportunity to prove how classy and consistent he can be.
Dhawan will be eager to build upon his previous success, having notched up 856 runs from 14 innings with 3 centuries and a stunning average of 71.33. Decent with the bat in IPL 2018, the aggressive Dhawan must try and get India off to a flyer.
#2 Rohit Sharma
India's three-time double centurion had a below-par IPL season, with experts believing his role as an opener to be under serious threat from the brilliant KL Rahul.
This England tour presents Rohit with the perfect opportunity to prove his worth, as he looks to get back to his usual self, plundering runs with utter disdain.
Sharma has 533 runs at an average of 48.45 from 13 innings in England, and will be expected to work his magic at the top, against the likes of Anderson, Broad and Stokes.
Top Order
#3 Virat Kohli
The world's premier batsman across all formats, captain Virat Kohli will be motivated to prove his doubters wrong in this tour. Under his leadership, India have played a brand of aggressive cricket unlike ever before.
Critics have often called India "lions at home and lambs abroad," an assessment Kohli will be eager to change. It goes without saying that much of India's success will depend on how Kohli performs.
The captain is going to have a stint in Surrey for added preparation, signalling his unwavering commitment to achieving success for India on the overseas tours. In England, Kohli has 682 runs from 19 innings, at an average of 52.
#4 KL Rahul
The Karnataka batsman has had a sensational IPL, with his batting heroics earning him a place in India's squad to tour England.
The classy and technically sound player has fired on all cylinders, racking up 659 runs at a phenomenal strike rate of 160.98. Rahul will look to continue his rich vein of form, and provide much-needed stability to the team in the crucial number four spot.
This being his first tour of England, the lack of experience could impact his performance, but with stalwarts such as Kohli and Dhoni in the team, Rahul will look to leave his mark. A good showing could cement his place in the ODI set-up, thereby booking him a ticket to the World Cup.
Middle Order
#5 Dinesh Karthik
The No. 5 spot will be closely contested between Shreyas Iyer, Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik, but Karthik's experience may see him get the nod. The wicketkeeper-batsman seems to have found a new lease of life since his heroics in the Nidahas Trophy final, as he seems to be batting much more confidently, playing exquisite shots and scoring briskly.
The 32-year-old will look to make full use of this opportunity and tie down that middle-order spot for himself. Karthik has 134 runs from 10 innings in England, a stat he would like to improve.
#6 MS Dhoni
No Indian cricket team line-up can be quite complete without MSD - such is the man's importance. Be it with his glove-work, his batting or his experience, Dhoni is indispensable to this Virat Kohli-led India side.
The stalwart will be expected to provide valuable input to the youngsters in the squad, and will also assist Kohli from behind the stumps, in field placement and bowling changes.
MSD has 586 runs from 18 innings, and must apply the finishing touch to the India batting in order for them to succeed, much like he has been doing for Chennai this IPL.
#7 Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya has established himself as India's No. 1 all-rounder across all three formats. The England tour could go a long way in determining whether he can be one of the greatest ever in that role.
Aggressive and flamboyant, Pandya will have to stick to his guns and back his abilities in order to succeed against the world's No. 1 ODI team. Hardik averages 52.5 in England, and similar performances will be expected of him in the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup.
Spinners
#8 Yuzvendra Chahal
The leggie will be another member of the squad playing his first series in England. Ranked No. 3 in the list of world's best T20 bowlers, Chahal will be keen on rising up the ladder in the ODI rankings as well.
His leg-spin will come in handy for India during the middle overs to break partnerships and choke the run flow.
A solid performance from the youngster in this series could guarantee him a spot in the World Cup squad.
#9 Kuldeep Yadav
Assisting Chahal in the spin department will be left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who could prove to be the X-factor on this tour. India have taken a massive gamble to go into the series with both spinners on their first tours, but Kuldeep and Chahal rank among the best in the world.
Kuldeep's variations could make life extremely difficult for the Englishmen, who are not the best at playing spin. Working in tandem with Chahal, Kuldeep has every chance of making it a tournament to remember, not because of the pacers, but because of the high-quality spin-bowling.
Pacers
#10 Jasprit Bumrah
The world's No. 1 ODI bowler must be smacking his lips at the prospect of bowling in the pacer-friendly English conditions.
Capable of bowling whenever required, Bumrah will be Kohli's most potent weapon against the English batters, as his searing yorkers and slow knuckle-balls can deceive even the best batsmen.
With extra swing on offer, Bumrah can be the star bowler in the Indian ranks.
#11 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Occupying the final spot in the team is the master of swing - Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Consistent and accurate, Bhuvneshwar will be expected to provide wickets up top, and trouble the batsmen with a probing line and length.
Kumar has taken 18 wickets in England previously, and will be the spearhead of this bowling attack.
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