The Indian cricket team's English challenge didn't get the start it was expected to, but it is time to switch gears to a format where confidence and this group's 50-over pedigree can do the talking.

Three ODIs - Birmingham on July 14, Cardiff two days later, Lord's on the 19th - are up next, and Shubman Gill leads this leg, with Sarpanch Saab beside him as vice-captain. The road to the 2027 Cricket World Cup is now significantly in motion, and each limited-overs series will present pitches to test this side’s aptitude.

Virat Kohli's availability is the first good piece of news in a while. A hamstring injury in the IPL final ruled him out of the Afghanistan series, and he has been working his way back since. Expected to be cleared on fitness checks; having Kohli back matters enormously. The talismanic batter now plays only the fifty-over format for India, but his prowess and stats in themselves speak volumes about how he can take on any English bowling challenge thrown his way. Jasprit Bumrah's return is just as significant, rested through the T20Is and fresh for conditions he genuinely enjoys. Rohit Sharma is also set to return, so expect a grand spectacle of “The Ro-Ko Show” against the hosts.

With the ball, Arshdeep paaji has Bumrah back beside him, and that left-right new-ball combination will be difficult to settle against in overcast English conditions. Kuldeep Yadav through the middle overs is an attacking option, not just a containing one, and Axar and Washington Sundar add further depth to a spin unit that looks well-balanced for this tour.

The injury situation has been a headache. Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy - all unavailable. Shivam Dube's power hitting covers some of what Nitish would have brought. Prince Yadav is an X-factor who can rise to the occasion. KL Rahul steadies the middle order, Prasidh Krishna adds pace depth, and Gurnoor Brar brings form and hunger to prove himself at this level.

England at home in ODIs are no pushover. They have won four of their last six home games since January 2025, and they will come looking to give Shubman Gill’s India a fresh conundrum on the field. But India - as the top-ranked ODI team - are not here just to win three games. They are here to stress-test combinations and get battle-ready for next year’s mega event. Three games is not much time, which is exactly why each game and each result counts.

India Squad for ODI series in England

Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav