T20I series against India an opportunity to prepare for World Cup, says England's Eoin Morgan

New Delhi, India

England’s white-ball captain Eoin Morgan on Thursday said that the five-match T20I series against India is an “extremely exciting” challenge that would assist the team to prepare for the World Cup later this year. 

The series commences on Friday in Ahmedabad and would be the only opportunity for a full-strength England squad to play together before the T20 World Cup in India in October-November due to the hectic scheduling.  

England, after thrashing in the Test series, will look to get back to winning ways in the T20I series. The T20I squad includes the likes of Dawid Malan, Jason Roy, Curran brothers among others. Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali who left the Test tour in between due to ECB’s rotation policy are also back in the squad for the white-ball leg of the gruelling tour.  

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"Certainly with one eye on the World Cup in seven months time, it is an opportunity to try and replicate teams and roles within the side that we might need to iron out before we get to the World Cup," Morgan told reporters in a virtual press conference. 

The World Cup-winning England skipper added that the Indian Premier League, starting April 9, would play a major role in helping his players for the T20 World Cup.  

"Certainly the first few times I went to the IPL, I've never gone through an experience like it. And I've learned a huge amount over the years that I've been there," Morgan said.

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"So the value in it given the year that it's in is brilliant, particularly now that we know it's being held in India." 

The 34-year-old added that India would be favourites to win the World Cup on their home soil while adding that playing them in their backyard "is extremely exciting and everybody's looking forward to it".