Birmingham, Jul 13: India will launch their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup when they face England in the opening match of the three-game series at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Tuesday, with the return of several senior players expected to significantly strengthen the visitors after a disappointing T20I campaign.

The shortest format is behind them. Now comes the format that matters most over the next 15 months.

The biggest talking point ahead of the series is the return of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, three pillars of India's ODI setup. Their inclusion restores experience to both departments while also providing captain Shubman Gill with a near-full-strength squad as he begins shaping combinations for the road to South Africa.

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India's batting once again wears a familiar look. Rohit and Gill are set to reunite at the top of the order, a partnership that averages 60.9 in ODIs. Gill heads into the series in red-hot form, having amassed 373 runs in five innings this year at an average of 93.3 and a strike rate of 117, including three half-centuries and a hundred.

Kohli returns on the verge of multiple milestones. Birmingham is set to witness his 300th ODI innings, while another productive series could take the former captain beyond 15,000 ODI runs. Since the beginning of 2025, he has averaged an astonishing 123 across his last seven ODI innings.

KL Rahul, who scored 139 runs against Afghanistan, is expected to take up wicketkeeping duties alongside his middle-order role, while Shreyas Iyer returns to his preferred No. 4 position.

India's attack also receives a timely boost with Bumrah back to spearhead the pace unit alongside Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna and Gurnur Brar. The visitors will also look for an improved showing from Kuldeep Yadav, who is six wickets away from becoming the fourth Indian spinner to claim 200 ODI wickets

England, meanwhile, have their own ambitions of reviving their fortunes in the 50-over format. Captain Harry Brook has impressed since taking charge, scoring 850 runs in 17 ODI innings at an average of 60.7 with three centuries, while Joe Root's consistency continues to anchor the middle order. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid also remains a key threat, sitting second among England's wicket-takers since the 2023 ODI World Cup and closing in on the milestone of 150 ODI wickets.

Although India were outplayed in the T20I leg of the tour, the visitors have largely enjoyed the upper hand in this rivalry over the last decade, winning seven of the nine bilateral ODI series against England since 2010.

With senior stars back in blue and the countdown to the next World Cup underway, Tuesday's opener offers India an opportunity to begin a fresh chapter in the format that will define the next phase of their white-ball journey.

MATCH DETAILS

Date & Time: July 14, 3:30 PM IST

Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham

Telecast & Stream: Sony Sports Network & JioHotstar

THE SQUADS:

England: Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wk), James Coles, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Josh Tongue.

India: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav.

(IANS)