The 1st T20I of the five-match series began on a high note for the Indian cricket team, as they secured a dominant 7-wicket victory with 43 balls to spare against England at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. After bowling out the English side for 132 in 20 overs, India chased down the target in just 12.5 overs.

Sanju Samson got off to a quick start, as did his opening partner Abhishek Sharma. However, Samson was dismissed by Jofra Archer, who also claimed the wicket of skipper Suryakumar Yadav in the same over. From that point on, it was the Abhishek Sharma show.

The left-handed opener, Abhishek Sharma, smashed sixes with ease, as 68 of his 79 runs came in boundaries (8 sixes and 5 fours). Abhishek also had luck on his side as he was dropped twice during his innings, but he made sure to seize those opportunities. 

He reached his fifty with a stunning six and followed it up with a barrage of boundaries, delivering a swashbuckling performance that lit up Eden Gardens. His fearless and explosive batting on Wednesday earned him India's second-fastest T20I fifty (off just 20 balls) against England at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. 

𝘼 𝙎𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙁𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙮 😎

Abhishek Sharma starts the #INDvENG T20I series on the right note 👍

Follow The Match ▶️ https://t.co/4jwTIC5zzs#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/U7Mkaamnfv

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2025

Abhishek's scintillating knock of 79 runs also placed him in an elite club alongside his mentor, Yuvraj Singh, who famously hit a 12-ball fifty during the 2007 T20 World Cup. 

The bond between Indian left-handers and English bowlers in T20 cricket seems to always be iconic, largely due to Yuvraj's legendary six sixes off Stuart Broad and his record-breaking fastest fifty in the 2007 World Cup—a moment firmly etched in cricketing history. 

The Men in Blue won the toss and chose to bowl first, with the spinners delivering a standout performance. The trio of Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravi Bishnoi combined for five wickets, maintaining an economy rate of less than a run per ball. The pacers also contributed, claiming four wickets, but conceded runs at nearly eight per over. 

England captain Jos Buttler was the only standout performer, scoring a fighting 68 off 44 balls, including eight boundaries and two sixes. However, he had little support from the rest of the batting lineup.  

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