The English Cricket Board has locked it in. India are coming this July for three ODIs and five T20Is. It is a massive block of white-ball cricket squeezed into less than three weeks, running from July 1 to 19. If you want context, look back to February last year. India absolutely dismantled England 3-0 in the home ODIs. Shubman Gill was scoring runs for fun, 259 of them in just three innings, while Varun Chakravarthy turned England's batters inside out in the shortest format.
Let's be honest, England's recent white-ball form has been dreadful. Four straight ODI series defeats since late 2023 tells its own story. Now, they face an Indian side smelling blood. The history books between these two sides are filled with long-standing milestones, but this specific tour feels different. A few massive records look incredibly vulnerable.
The Milestones on thin ice
First up is Virat Kohli. He is chasing down MS Dhoni. Currently sitting fourth on the all-time run-scorers list in England vs India ODIs, Kohli has 1,340 runs from 36 matches. Dhoni is at the top with 1,546. Because Dhoni has long since hung up his gloves, Kohli is the only active cricketer who can actually change these standings.
He is 37 now. Yet, the hunger has not shifted. Three ODIs offer plenty of room to chip away at that 206-run deficit. Forget his old struggles in English conditions; he has conquered those demons. He scores everywhere now. Whether it is a flat deck in Ahmedabad or a nippy morning in the UK, Kohli finds a way. The quick outfields in July will suit his frantic running and crisp timing down the ground.
Finally, there is Chakravarthy. He is a genuine mystery spinner who England simply cannot read. During the 2025 home series, he took 14 wickets in five T20Is. It was a proper dismantling. That performance rocketed him to the top of the ICC T20I bowling rankings with 818 rating points, eclipsing Bumrah’s old Indian record.
People say finger spinners and mystery bowlers struggle on English soil. It is a myth. Chakravarthy does not rely on a massive turn; he beats you with subtle variations in bounce, his carrom ball, and a lethal googly. English batters historically hate playing spin out of the hand. They sweep blindly or play for a turn that isn't there. Kohli holds the record for the most T20I runs in this fixture with 648, but Chakravarthy has a real chance to flip the script this July and make this rivalry all about the bowlers.
