England begin their Cricket World Cup title defence on Thursday, October 5, with a rematch of the 2019 final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match starts at 9:30am UK time, with a potential crowd of 132,000.
Jos Buttler captains the side, which is second-favourite for the tournament behind hosts India. England come into the match with confidence after a 181-run win over the Black Caps at the Oval during a four-match series on home soil.
Ben Stokes, hero of the 2019 final, has been in strong form, scoring a record 182 runs in an ODI at the Oval. He is part of a formidable batting lineup that includes Ashes big-hitter Harry Brook, who will aim to replicate his Test form in the 50-over format.
The full England squad for the tournament is: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.
Every match of the World Cup will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, which is available for an extra £20 per month.
