England’s ODI Squad for India Tour and Champions Trophy Sees Root Return, Stokes Absent Due to Injury

England’s men’s one-day international squad for the upcoming tour of India and the 2025 Champions Trophy will feature the return of batter Joe Root, while Ben Stokes will be absent due to injury. Root, who holds the top spot in the Test batting rankings and boasts an ODI average of 47.60 across 171 caps, has not participated in a white-ball match for the team since the World Cup in November 2023. This 15-player squad also sees the inclusion of pace bowler Mark Wood, who has recovered from a right elbow injury. England Test captain Ben Stokes’ non-selection is attributed to a hamstring injury sustained during the third Test match in New Zealand earlier this month. The tour of India, scheduled for January and February, comprises five Twenty20 internationals and three One-Day Internationals, preceding England’s journey to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. Root, who will celebrate his 34th birthday on December 30, has been named exclusively in the ODI squad. These two series will mark Brendon McCullum’s inaugural assignment overseeing the men’s white-ball setup. McCullum, appointed to this position in September, will concurrently fulfill his duties as England’s Test coach. Left-arm bowler Reece Topley and all-rounders Sam Curran and Will Jacks have not been included in either squad, both of which will be led by captain Jos Buttler. The England squad for the T20 series in India is as follows: Jos Buttler (Captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood. The England squad for the ODI series in India and the Champions Trophy includes: Jos Buttler (Captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood. The complete England itinerary in India is detailed below: T20 series: Wednesday, 22 January, Eden Gardens, Kolkata; Saturday, 25 January, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai; Tuesday, 28 January, Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot; Friday, 31 January, MCA Stadium, Pune; Sunday, 2 February, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. ODI series: Thursday, 6 February, VCA Stadium, Nagpur; Sunday, 9 February, Barabati Stadium, Cuttack; Wednesday, 12 February, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.