Overview

• India defeated England by seven wickets in the first T20I of a five-match series at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, chasing down a target of 132 with over seven overs to spare.
• Abhishek Sharma played a match-winning innings, scoring 79 runs off just 34 balls, including eight sixes, showcasing his aggressive batting style.
• Varun Chakravarthy took three key wickets and was named Player of the Match for his consistent wicket-taking approach, supported by Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, and Hardik Pandya's contributions.
• Kapil Dev praised India's all-around performance and expressed confidence in the team ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy, set to begin next month.
• Meanwhile, India's captain Rohit Sharma's struggles with form continued in domestic cricket, as he scored only 3 runs in a Ranji Trophy match against Jammu & Kashmir, where pacer Umar Nazir Mir dismissed him and took four wickets overall.