Joe Root returns to England’s ODI squad but Ben Stokes not selected | England cricket team

Joe Root has been recalled to England's ODI squad for the first time since Jos Buttler's side produced a dominant ODI World Cup defense in November 2023.

England's white-ball team will depart for the subcontinent on January 17 under new manager and captaincy duo Brendon McCullum and Buttler. The tour includes three ODIs and five IT20s against the Indian white-ball giants, followed by the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, to be hosted by Pakistan, in February and March.

For the first England men's ODI team and IT20 team to be announced under Mr McCullum's extended white ball head coach role, two groups of 15 players will be named for each format, with only Root selected for ODIs. , Leicestershire leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed was selected for the T20s. squad.

Ben Stokes, who came out of retirement to play in the 2023 ODI World Cup, was left out of selection, but the versatile player was left out after sustaining a left hamstring injury in the third Test match against New Zealand earlier this month. Players are still being evaluated.

Root is in the midst of a period of great form with the bat, becoming England's top Test match scorer and century maker in 2024, and this week winning third place in the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year Awards. It reached its climax.

After a tough period under former manager and captain duo Matthew Mott and Butler, who saw them relinquish both world titles, England's white-ball team are looking to return to their old home and make a fresh start in 2025.

If Root is recalled to the squad for the ODIs, he could even overtake Eoin Morgan's 6,957 runs to become England's top scorer in the longer of the two white-ball formats. Since making his ODI debut in India in January 2013, the Yorkshireman has averaged 47.60 runs in 171 matches with 16 centuries and 39 half-centuries and will also provide useful overs when he has the ball.