India will start the new year with a T20I series against England at Eden Gardens, which will be their first series after the embarrassing defeat to Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy series Down Under. Ahead of the series, India coach Gautam Gambhir visited the famous Kali temple in Kalighat to pray for his team’s success. Gambhir has always had a special connection with Kolkata after leading and guiding Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 2014 and 2024 respectively. The India coach was seen taking blessings and praying at the holy temple on the eve of the first match.
The Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata is considered the holiest Shaktipeeth among the 51 Shakti Peethas in India, where various parts of Devi Sati’s body are said to have fallen, during Shiva’s Rudra Tandava. Kalighat marks the site where the toes of the right foot of Shakti or Sati fell.
Video | India national team coach Gautam Gambhir@gauthamgambir) prays in Kalighat temple, #Kolkata.
India will play England in the first match of the T20 series at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, tomorrow. Starting from the Eden T20I, the two teams will battle it out in… pic.twitter.com/frPanegCyJ
– Press Agency of India (@PTI_News) January 21, 2025
The Suryakumar Yadav-led side will be strengthened by the return of veteran Mohammed Shami ahead of the all-important Champions Trophy, scheduled to begin next month. Shami last played for India in the ODI World Cup final against Australia in November 2023. He underwent surgery on a heel injury that kept him out of action until November last year when he featured for his state team Bengal in the Ranji Trophy.
On the other hand, player Mark Wood will return to the team for the first time since August. He will join Jofra Archer and Jimmy Overton in England’s pace attack as the visitors announced their starting XI for the series opener on Tuesday.
India and England have faced each other 24 times in T20Is, with India holding a slight advantage with 13 wins to England’s 11. The semi-final of the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024, where India recorded a memorable win.
The series will start in Kolkata and then move to Chennai, Rajkot, Pune and Mumbai for the remaining matches. The T20I final will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 2.
After the T20I series, the two teams will compete in a three-match ODI series starting in Nagpur on February 6, which will give fans a sneak peek into India’s preparations for the upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
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