Not Jos Buttler! England’s Brendon McCullum has confirmed the second wicket-keeper for India T20I
England are ready to start their long-awaited white ball tour India with a five-match T20I seriesstarting on January 22, 2025, at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
A new chapter in English white-ball cricket under Brendon McCullum
This series has a special significance because it will mark the beginning of a new era under Brendon McCullumthe recently appointed England white ball selector. McCullum, who revolutionized England’s Test side with “Baseball” approach, he is now tasked with injecting fresh energy into the team’s limited attack strategies.
After the T20I, England will engage in a three-match ODI series as part of the preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025which will be held in Pakistan later this year. The tour is expected to test England’s adaptability to subcontinental conditions and their ability to transition seamlessly between formats. For McCullum, this could be a golden opportunity to establish his philosophy in the shorter formats, building on England’s already stellar reputation in white-ball cricket.
READ ALSO: IND vs ENG 2025: England’s best XI for T20I series against India
There is no Jos Buttler as England’s wicketkeeper for India’s T20Is
In a significant development ahead of the T20I series, McCullum revealed this Jos Buttler, The England captain and one of the most versatile players in modern cricket will not be donning the wicketkeeping gloves. This means that the responsibilities will be handed over to the only other available option in the team ie Phil Saltwho has impressed as a wicketkeeper-batter in recent outings. This decision stems from a combination of tactical considerations and Buttler’s physical management.
Speaking during the pre-series press conference at the Eden Gardens, McCullum stressed that this decision benefits the team in more ways than one. It reduces Buttler’s workload, allowing him to focus on his responsibilities as captain and batsman, and also gives Salt a consistent role to grow as a reliable official. Salt’s dual ability with bat and gloves adds balance to the squad, ensuring England remain flexible in their line-up configurations.
“It’s a little early for that conversation. Look, what he won’t do, he won’t hold the door in this series. He’s going to catch them down the field and I think that’s a really positive thing for us because it gives Josh an opportunity to have the final say on the thrower and build that relationship in that last second instead of being 22 yards away. And we also have great retention opportunities within the party,” McCullum said.
“I think when it comes to T20s, I think we can expect to be near the top of the order. Working out the intricacies of that will take the next 48 hours before we get into it. Look, we have a really good team. We have a lot of flexibility within the group. We have a bunch of options that we can go to. We’re just trying to make sure we can put everything together, which gives us the best,” McCullum concluded.
READ ALSO: IND vs ENG 2025: India’s top XI for T20I series against England
