England have announced their playing XI for the first T20I against India, starting on Wednesday here at Eden Gardens. The game will mark the beginning of the Brendon McCullum white ball era for the side.

From opening to No. 10, the slots are almost sorted. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson will open the innings, followed by Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, and Axar Patel -- in no fixed order.

Gautam Gambhir has always had a special connection with the city of Kolkata having captained and mentored the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their two Indian Premier League (IPL) titles in 2014 and 20

Here are three players who could play a vital role in the upcoming T20I series between India and England only on CricTracker.

The toss for the India vs England 1st T20I will take place at 6:30 PM IST. The 1st T20I match between India and England will be telecast on the Star Sports network in India. The live streaming of India vs England 1st T20I will be available on Disney+ Hotstar app and website

The T20 world champions India will take on Jos Buttler-led England side in the five-match T20I series starting on January 22 in Kolkata. The hosts will also welcome back the veteran pacer Mohammed Shami but will be without Jasprit Bumrah.

Fast bowler Mark Wood will play for the first time since August in England's first T20 against India in Kolkata on Wednesday.

The series will start at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata - a venue where haven't lost a T20I since 2011. The last time these two teams faced each other was in the semifinal