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

Joe Root has been recalled to the England ODI side for the first time since the Jos Buttler-captained team put up an underwhelming ODI World Cup defence in November 2023.

England’s white-ball squads will depart for the sub-continent on 17 January under the new coach and captain combination of Brendon McCullum and Buttler. The tour includes three ODIs and five IT20s against the white-ball juggernaut of India followed by the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 hosted by Pakistan in February and March.

In the first England men’s ODI and IT20 squads to be announced under McCullum’s extended white ball head coach role, two groups of 15 players have been named for each format with Root only selected for the ODIs and Leicestershire leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed named in the T20 squad.

After coming out of retirement to play in the 2023 ODI World Cup Ben Stokes was not considered for selection, the talismanic all-rounder continues to be assessed following a left hamstring injury sustained during the third Test match against New Zealand earlier this month.

Root is in the middle of a gleaming period of form with the bat, becoming England’s leading Test-match run scorer and century-maker in 2024 culminating in him taking third place in the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award this week.

After a chastening period under former coach and captain pairing of Matthew Mott and Buttler in which they relinquished both World titles, England’s white-ball sides are looking to get off to a fresh start in 2025 by returning to an old hand.

Root’s recall to the squad for ODIs could even see him overtake Eoin Morgan’s 6,957 runs to become England’s leading runs scorer in the longer of the two white ball formats. After making his ODI debut in India in January 2013, the Yorkshireman can boast an average of 47.60 from 171 matches with 16n centuries and 39 half-centuries, he’ll also offer some handy overs with the ball.