In the first T20I of the five-match series, India defeated England by seven wickets at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
𝗔 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀! 💪 💪#TeamIndia off to a flying start in the T20I series, sealing a 7⃣-wicket win! 👏 👏
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2025
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Post winning the toss, Suryakumar Yadav opted to field first. The decision turned correct as the home unit bowled out the visitors for just 132 runs in 20 overs. On the pretty batting pitch, bowlers such as Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Axar Patel were quite economical and also picked up wickets at regular intervals.
The Men in Blue straightaway began their chase in an aggressive manner as both openers, Sanju Samson (26) and Abhishek Sharma (79), were striking from ball one. While Samson got out in the fifth over, Sharma fairly got less opportunity at the beginning, but once he was getting regular strikes, he went all out against all the bowlers. Abhishek’s effort was crucial to India’s domination, as his ability to figure out gaps and rotate strikes imposed pressure on England’s bowlers. The southpaw hit five fours and eight massive sixes and reached his fifty in just 20 balls, becoming the second fastest to score against England. Tilak Varma (19) also scored a few runs and helped India get over the victory line.
Jos Buttler (68) was the only batter who looked impressive in the first innings. Playing at the strike rate of 154.55, the right-handed batter hit eight fours and two sixes. There was no help for him from the other end, as the second-highest run-getter for the unit was 17 by Harry Brook. Perhaps in the next game, the side might change some batting positions.
With the ball for team India, Chakaravarthy scalped three wickets, and with him, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep, and Axar got two wickets each. Chakravarthy ended with 3/22 in four overs, taking vital middle-order wickets and applying constant pressure throughout his four overs.
Jofra Archer bowled all his four overs in one spell and took two wickets. Adil Rashid also claimed one wicket.
With this win, the home team has taken a 1-0 lead in the series.
Scorecard:
England: 132/10, Overs 20, Jos Buttler 68, Varun Chakaravarthy 3/23
India: 133/3, Overs 12.5, Abhishek Sharma 79, Jofra Archer 2/21