IND vs ENG: Abhishek Sharma shines as India clinches 7-wicket win over England in 1st T20I

India began their 2025 T20I campaign on a high note with a commanding seven-wicket win over England in the series opener at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. A brilliant performance from Abhishek Sharma and an all-around bowling display sealed the victory for the hosts in a low-scoring affair.

Winning the toss, India opted to field first and struck early. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Phil Salt for a duck in the opening over, caught behind by Sanju Samson. England skipper Jos Buttler tried to steady the innings with a flurry of boundaries but lost Ben Duckett cheaply to a leading edge caught by Rinku Singh at covers. England stumbled to 17/2 in 2.5 overs, with Arshdeep surpassing Yuzvendra Chahal’s record to become India’s leading T20I wicket-taker.

Buttler (68 off 44 balls), supported briefly by Harry Brook, carried England’s innings with a mix of flair and determination. However, the Indian spinners tightened their grip. Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Brook (17) and Liam Livingstone (0) in the same over, leaving England reeling at 65/4 in eight overs.

Despite Buttler’s half-century, wickets kept tumbling. Axar Patel and Chakravarthy dismantled the lower order, with Axar removing Jamie Overton and Gus Atkinson in quick succession. Chakravarthy bowled Buttler with a beauty, and a sharp diving catch from Nitish Kumar Reddy added to England’s woes. Hardik Pandya and a run-out on the final ball wrapped up England’s innings at 132 in 20 overs.

Varun Chakaravarthy scalped 3⃣ wickets & bagged the Player of the Match Award! 👌 👌

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/4jwTIC5zzs#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/QqqC6Sz1e1

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2025

Chasing a modest target of 133, India got off to a flying start despite a hiccup early on. Sanju Samson initially struggled against Jofra Archer but found his rhythm with two fours and a six off Gus Atkinson, collecting 22 runs in quick time. At the other end, Abhishek Sharma began aggressively, hitting a boundary and a six off Archer.

Archer, however, struck back in his next over, dismissing Samson for 26 and skipper Suryakumar Yadav for a two-ball duck. India was briefly reduced to 41/2, but Abhishek Sharma steadied the ship with an explosive innings. Taking advantage of England’s lapses in the field, he smashed boundaries and sixes at will, bringing up a sparkling fifty with a towering six.

Abhishek’s luck ran out when he lofted Adil Rashid to Harry Brook at long-off, ending his sensational knock of 79 off just 34 balls. By then, the damage was done, and Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma guided India to victory with more than seven overs to spare.

Match Highlights

• Abhishek Sharma: 79 off 34 balls (6 fours, 5 sixes)
• Jos Buttler: 68 off 44 balls (8 fours, 2 sixes)
• Varun Chakravarthy: 3/23, including crucial middle-order wickets
• Arshdeep Singh: Became India’s leading T20I wicket-taker with an early breakthrough.