Skipper Jos Buttler is set to return to action as England prepare to face West Indies in the opening match of a five-match T20I series on Sunday Kensington Oval, Barbados. Buttler has been out of action for long, missing the Hundred, as well as ODI and T20I series against Australia and the recently concluded ODI series against West Indies.
England coming off a disappointing defeat in their previous ODI series against West Indies are aiming to bounce back with a strong performance in the shortest format of the game. Their recent ODI series against West Indies ended in a loss, leaving them with some work to do in terms of team performance.
England will be eager to reassert their dominance in the T20 format, where they have been struggling consistently over the past few months. They also made an early exit at the T20I World Cup 2024, losing to India in the semi-final. It will be incredibly important for England to get their white-ball performance on track.
On the other hand, West Indies have always been a force in T20 cricket. They will be no pushovers, especially after a successful T20I series win against South Africa. Players like Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, and the explosive skipper Rovman Powell will be crucial to their chances in the T20I format. Heading into the series, West Indies carry an upper hand, having beaten England in their last two bilateral series in 2021-22 and 2023-24.
West Indies probable XI: Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell (c), Sherfane Rutherford, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Matthew Forde, Shamar Joseph
England probable XI: Phil Salt (wk), Jos Buttler (c), Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Dan Mousley, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton/Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Reece Topley