It's going to be a bat vs bat contest: Akash Chopra on Ind-Eng T20 series

On India’s domination in T20 internationals:

"Sky is the limit. I mean, quite literally. He is the captain as well, and under his tenure, the team is also playing very aggressively. See, once in a while, when you think too far ahead and fly too high, then sometimes you fall too. So, when we're talking about close to 300 run targets, it's possible that one day we'll reach only 125. That is also a possibility. But, the way this team plays, it feels like it's been decided—we'll be fearless. After that, we'll see what happens."

On Abhishek Sharma’s form:

"Abhishek’s form has been a little up and down. In the beginning, in his second T20I, he scored a century against Zimbabwe. After that, a lot of promise, a lot of potential, but not enough performance. So, I think for Abhishek Sharma, this is the final opportunity, and I really love the kid. I think if he does well, it will be a great thing. But these 5 matches—go ahead and live your life. Because in these matches, like Sanju has made his name in the last 3 matches, in the same way, Abhishek Sharma will have to do it. Or else, there will be a little change in time, and Jaiswal will come back."

On Suryakumar Yadav’s performance:

"Honestly, for Surya, it's a little interesting. If we see the T20 numbers for the last whole year, they are very middling numbers. So, it's been a pretty dry period for Surya runs-wise. He didn't shine that much, but batting at number 4, I think, is a little counterproductive. Surya should be batting at 3, but he has given his place to Tilak. So, he will have to wait because, in the beginning, when the runs are more, Surya has less time to actually express himself. So, it's going to be difficult once again."

On Arshdeep Singh’s role in this series:

"Extremely important. Because there will be Ben Duckett and Phil Salt as their opening pair, at number 3 they have Jos Buttler, and you realize that if their wickets don't fall, then there will be a lot of beating. But the best thing about this bowler is that he takes wickets in the initial overs. He also has variations."

On Jos Buttler:

"I think Jos Buttler, even in 2024, his numbers are good. It's a 5-match series, so he knows what he can do, and we can expect at least 2 batting innings from Jos Buttler."

On expectations from today’s game and the overall series:

"Let's prepare for the run-fest. Because a lot of runs will be made. See, it's a T20 format. In many places, there might be a role of dew because it's still cold in many places, you might see dew in the evening. It's possible that the team that will chase later will feel a little easier to chase because in T20’s it happens anyway. But If dew comes, then it becomes even easier. So, from east to west, I think, batting will be at its best. It'll be fun. There'll be a lot of beating for the bowlers."

On the overall India vs England series:

"It's going to be a bat-vs-bat contest. Because batting is a heavy-weight on both sides. If we look at the clash, it's not a light-weight clash. It's a heavy-weight clash, in which, if you hit a six, the other team can hit two. And it's possible that if the pitch is right, both innings will be equal. The tempo can be set with the first match, and the other team will also look at it from the same perspective. You're also playing elevens. You're also worried about batting. That's why you play two-three proper bowlers; the rest are all-rounders. So, when both teams play the same type of cricket, almost a similar brand of cricket, then there should be a good clash. In my opinion, there should be a lot of runs."

On the challenges faced by Team India in recent months:

"In the past six months, if there is anything we have learned, it is that we have to work hard. We can't do without it. We never lost to Sri Lanka for 27 years. But we lost. We've never lost to New Zealand in our lives. For the first time, we lost a series 3-0 in a team match. So, one thing I've understood is that it's good to be humble. It's good to stay grounded. And whatever you do on the field, it is considered the same. So, I'm not going to take this series lightly."