ENG vs AUS 2024: Five players to watch out for in T20I series

Head, Zampa, Sam Curran (Twitter)

England and Australia are set to renew their rivalry as they square off in a three-match T20I series in the United Kingdom. The first match is set to be played at The Rose Bowl, Southampton on Wednesday, September 11. The last two games will be played at the Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (September 13) and Old Trafford, Manchester (September 15), respectively.

Both teams failed to reach the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup in June. In the first-round, the traditional rivals were placed in the same group and Mitchell Marsh’s men won by a comfortable 36-run margin in Barbados. The Three Lions will want to avenge the defeat and get bragging rights against the Men in Yellow. Meanwhile, the Aussies are coming off a comfortable 3-0 clean sweep in a T20I series versus Scotland.

Both teams have some explosive batters and game-changing bowlers in their ranks. Fans are expecting a riveting clash between the two fierce rivals in the shortest format of the game. Let’s glance through the five players to watch out for in this series.

Also Read: Jos Buttler goes down as arguably the greatest white-ball player England has ever had: Brendon McCullum

Here is a list of top five players to watch out for in three-match T20I series:

5. Josh Inglis

Josh Inglis has established himself as one of the most dangerous cricketers in 20-20 cricket. The wicketkeeper-batter is expected to come in at No. 4 and his ability to take the bowling on from the get-go makes him special.

Inglis finished as the second highest run-getter against Scotland after playing just a couple of games. He scored a belligerent ton in the second match, slamming 103 off 49 balls, hitting seven fours and as many sixes. He became the fastest Australian centurion in T20Is with this epic knock.

The 29-year-old has already amassed two centuries from 23 innings at a staggering strike rate of 161.73. England bowlers will want to see the back of him quickly.

4. Adam Zampa

Adam Zampa had an excellent campaign in The Hundred 2024, which concluded last month. He finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker, bagging 19 scalps from nine matches at an average of 11.57 and an economy rate of 7.33.

Zampa hasn’t been able to perform to the best of his abilities against England, having bagged only eight wickets from seven T20Is, conceding runs at an economy rate of 9.69. However, his solid outing in The Hundred will surely give him a lot of confidence.

The experienced leg-spinner’s 12 overs across the three games is going to be very crucial for the tourists. He has the knack of picking up wickets at important moments and England will have to be wary of the threat that he possesses.

3. Sam Curran

Sam Curran had a memorable outing with the bat and ball in The Hundred 2024. He helped Oval Invincibles win the title for the second year in a row with his all-round exploits.

With the bat, Curran finished with 201 runs from six innings at an average of 40.20 and a strike rate of 164.75. He hit seven fours and 17 sixes during the tournament.

Also, Curran’s performance with the ball was even more commendable, as he finished with 17 wickets from nine games at an average of 10.52 and a strike rate of 8.52. The 26-year-old will have a significant role to play with his all-round prowess.

2. Phil Salt

The stand-in England captain will have a lot of responsibility at the top of the order, with Jos Buttler missing the series due to injury. The 28-year-old had a fantastic Indian Premier League (IPL) season and will look to continue his dream run against the Aussies.

Phil Salt continued his purple patch in domestic cricket as he scored 228 runs from eight matches at an average of 28.50 and a strike rate of 149.01 to finish as the third-highest run-getter in The Hundred 2024. He hit one ton and two half-centuries during the clash.

If Salt gets going, he is very difficult to contain. He can also play the waiting game if required. It will be interesting to see how he fares against the Australian bowlers.

1. Travis Head

The Australian southpaw has been an irreplaceable member of the team across formats. On his day, he can make any world-class bowler look pedestrian.

Head has scored 1,003 runs from 35 T20I innings at an average of 32.35 and a strike rate of 155.75. The left-hand batter can cut loose at any moment, and that makes him very difficult to plan for.

The Aussie opener will know that his side has got some fabulous batting depth down the order. This would give him the license to throw his bat around from the get-go and make the most out of the powerplay.