India Predicted Playing XI vs England for Match 29 of 2023 World Cup
Team India will look to pile on England's misery when they face off in the 29th game of the 2023 World Cup on Sunday, October 29, in Lucknow.
With five wins from as many games, the Men in Blue are flying high and are at the top of the points table. England are at the other end of the spectrum and are desperate for some momentum as their World Cup campaign hangs by a thread.
Rohit Sharma will not have a full squad to choose from for the contest, with Hardik Pandya yet to be adjudged match fit after suffering an ankle injury against Bangladesh.
India's squad for the 2023 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav
Here's India's predicted playing XI for Match 29 of the 2023 World Cup against England.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c) and Shubman Gill
India have no reasons to tinker with their opening combination.
Captain Rohit Sharma has been sensational at the top of the order, while Shubman Gill is still searching for his first big score of the World Cup. Gill will want to make a mark against England, who haven't been at their best with the ball in the tournament.
Middle Order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav
Virat Kohli is India's leading run-scorer this World Cup, having come up with plenty of match-winning efforts. The superstar batter appears to be in great form and will want to keep his run going.
Shreyas Iyer's short-ball weaknesses have cropped up a couple of times in the competition, but he has attempted to bat with intent and make the most of his strengths. While the batter hasn't played a statement knock yet, he has done enough to suggest that one is around the corner.
KL Rahul has been a class apart for the most part in the 2023 World Cup, both with the bat and behind the stumps. The No. 5 batter will have a crucial role to play at his Indian Premier League franchise's home ground.
Suryakumar Yadav was run out in the previous game, which was also his World Cup debut. With Hardik still missing, the dynamic batter will be expected to slot in at No. 6 and make the most of the death overs.
All-rounder: Ravindra Jadeja
Without Hardik, India will need to play five frontline bowlers. One of them will be Ravindra Jadeja, the only one who offers consistent returns with the bat. He took steps towards breaking a terrible run of form in the previous game against New Zealand and will take heart from that display.
Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav
India might be tempted to play an additional spinner in Lucknow in Ravichandran Ashwin. Not only do England have a few left-handers in their lineup, but they've also been suspect against spin throughout the tournament.
However, playing Ashwin would leave India with just two fast bowlers in Hardik's absence, and they might not want to take that risky route. They could thus stick to the trio of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, who will be well rested after a week off.
Kuldeep Yadav had a disappointing outing against New Zealand, but he won't be too worried. The left-arm wrist-spinner should lead the Indian spin attack once again on Sunday.