Wrist-spinner Varun Chakravarthy was the pick of India’s bowlers in the 1st T20I against England at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy took three wickets as England perished for 132. Varun Chakravarthy also dismissed Jos Buttler, who turned out to be the lone warrior for England with a half-century. Besides a three-fer, Varun Chakravarthy also completed 20 wickets in the shortest format.
As mentioned, Varun Chakravarthy has now raced past 20 wickets in T20I cricket. In 14 T20Is, the leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy now owns 22 scalps at an incredible average of 16.63. Varun Chakravarthy is one of the few Indian players with a five-wicket haul in the format. Varun Chakravarthy made a strong comeback to the international cricket scene with a three-wicket haul against Bangladesh last year.
India’s opening match of the 2025 T20I series against England was an explosive display of batting and bowling brilliance, with Abhishek Sharma stealing the spotlight. The Eden Gardens in Kolkata witnessed a record-breaking performance that saw India chase down a modest target of 133 with ease, thanks to a fiery 79 from Sharma. As India cruised to a seven-wicket win, the match was highlighted by several top records tumbling, most notably Sharma’s achievement of smashing the most sixes by an Indian in a T20I chase.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : The six-hitting festival starts today here at this iconic Eden Gardens Stadium. The average sixes hit in the last two years is 10 per innings in a T20 game. Dimensions – 59m and 66m square, straight down the ground is 75m. There’s a nice tinge of green, not overly green and I don’t think it’s going to do a whole lot but it’ll do enough. It’ll carry a little bit as well. The tall England bowlers will get a little bit out of the surface.
Generally this is a high-scoring venue. There’ll be a lot of runs scored here. More carry and pace on this surface. Looks a bit drier right now, looks white-ish now, but the color will change and will get darker as the game continues because of the dew factor. There’ll be pressure on the bowlers. Not so much (help) for spin, don’t think it’s going to spin much reckons Deep Dasgupta and Nick Knight.
Toss : India skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to field with 3 spinners in the playing XI. English skipper Jos Buttler batting first in contrast played with 3 seamers and 1 spinner in the playing XI.
Varun Chakravarthy spins a web as Jos Buttler was a lone fighter in England’s 132 all out
Before England were choked through the middle by a three-pronged spin attack, they were clipped up top by the lone Indian full-time quick. Since debuting in 2022, Arshdeep has been a new-ball banker for India’s shortest format. Consistently devastating and devastatingly consistent.
It was fitting that on the night he became India’s leading T20I wicket-taker, he reinforced his credentials as one of the format’s leading seamers in an opening three-over spell of 2 for 10. Movement away and up off a good length did for Salt, who could only sky a leading edge, and it was followed by nip the other way that left the left-handed Duckett for a similar demise.
Of those initial 18 deliveries, a remarkable 12 were dots, which saw him get the better of Buttler and Brook without reward. On another day, their feelers outside off stump may have resulted in edges, bringing more joy Arshdeep’s way. But rather than bemoan missing out on those extra notches in the wicket column, he seemed happy enough with his work, having opened the door for his spinners.
India had no hesitation in bowling first given the fact they went in with a spin-heavy attack, thus delaying Mohammed Shami’s return. Arshdeep Singh was right on the money though with the new ball, catching Phil Salt by surprise with a short delivery that seamed as the batter only managed a leading edge and departed early.
Ben Duckett got a leading edge as well against the same bowler, albeit off a delivery that was fullish in length comparatively. England’s release came at the other end with Jos Buttler going after Hardik Pandya, fetching six boundaries in his two overs, forcing Suryakumar Yadav to make a change.
Even though Buttler and Harry Brook smashed a six each in Axar Patel’s first over to give the visitors some momentum, the revival was short-lived as Varun Chakravarthy’s double-wicket over rattled England. On both occasions, it was the googly that did the damage as both Brook and Liam Livingstone lost their stumps. Jacob Bethell’s first outing in India turned out to be a disappointing one as the left-hander looked scratchy and nervy in his short stay, and when he finally did middle one, it was hit straight to the fielder in the deep.
If not for Buttler, things would have looked extremely bleak for England as the skipper kept finding the boundary regularly despite the procession at the other end.
By the end of the 15th over, he had made over 60% of the team’s total. However, any hopes of him adding to his tally at the death came to a halt when Nitish Reddy pulled off a superb diving catch to send Buttler back to the pavilion off Varun Chakravarthy. Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid then managed to drag the total past the 130-run mark but it was in no way going to challenge the home side on this track, especially with dew around.
While Sharma’s fireworks with the bat stole the show, India’s spinners were equally impressive in the first innings. Varun Chakravarthy led the charge with a brilliant spell, claiming 3 wickets for 23 runs. Varun Chakravarthy’s variations in the air, especially his deceptive bounce, made life difficult for England’s top-order batsmen. Axar Patel, ever the reliable left-arm spinner, supported well with 2 wickets for 22 runs. Together, they reduced England to a mere 132 runs, a target that seemed achievable from the outset.
Abhishek Sharma’s quickfire 79 runs stars in India’s easy win over England side
As expected, Sanju Samson switched on the rampage mode after just playing out Archer’s opening over. Gus Atkinson was welcomed into the attack with a boundary and it was followed by three more fours and a six as Samson erased 22 runs from the target in a matter of six deliveries.
Sanju Samson was watchful against Mark Wood in his first over and in his attempt to make amends for it, the opener mistimed one in the following over to get caught near deep midwicket. Archer made it two in two in a matter of three balls as Suryakumar was early into his flick and ended up getting a leading edge.
However, Abhishek Sharma at the other end passed his test against serious pace as he fetched back-to-back sixes against Wood, having already scored runs off Archer earlier. As a result, India had raced to 63 in just the powerplay alone with victory firmly in sight. And once Rashid gave him a reprieve off his own bowling by shelling a catch, there was no stopping Abhishek Sharma as the left-hander went 4,6,6 in the same over before clearing the ropes again in the following over to bring up a stunning 20-ball half-century.
India’s chase began with a sense of urgency, but it was Abhishek Sharma who made it clear that a comfortable win was on the cards. His innings of 79 from just 34 balls was a whirlwind display of power hitting.
Tilak Varma was happy being a spectator at the other end as India brought up their 100 in just 10 overs. Abhishek continued to march on in order to wrap things up as Atkinson bore the brunt this time before a googly from Rashid finally brought an end to the entertainment just an over before India completed the formalities.
India’s chase was a brisk affair, taking just 12.5 overs to reach the target. Along with Sharma’s fireworks, Sanju Samson contributed with a solid 26 off 20 balls, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 19 from 16 balls. The Indian batsmen showed great composure, taking calculated risks and ensuring they didn’t let the pressure of chasing a low total get to them.
Abhishek Sharma launched a record-breaking eight sixes, surpassing the previous Indian record of six sixes in a T20I chase—a feat shared by several big names like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. His onslaught was a masterclass in aggressive cricket, featuring three sixes off Adil Rashid, two off Mark Wood, and one each off Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, and Gus Atkinson.
The record for most sixes in a T20I chase still stands at 18, held by Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan, but among Full Member nations, South Africa’s Richard Levi holds the record with 13 sixes. However, Sharma’s achievement adds a new feather to his cap, making him one of India’s brightest young talents.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Jos Buttler the losing skipper said : There was a little bit in the wicket early on, probably didn’t expect that. It looked like a really good wicket, they found a little bit of movement and we lost a couple of wickets. But if you come through that phase, it’s a pretty good pitch and obviously a fast-scoring ground.
Some really good players in there, we wanted to enforce the game that we want to play and we weren’t quite capable of doing that today against some good bowlers but we’re better for the run-out and we’re looking forward to the next one. He (Jofra Archer) always looks good, he’s a superstar, he looked threatening. Thought he could have had a few more wickets there.
Mark Wood was bowling fast as well. To see two of them operate in tandem is exciting. We want to be aggressive, we want to be watchable. We are up against a team who are ultra-aggressive as well, so it’s really exciting. Venue to venue, you got to assess the conditions and play well. I am really enjoying the environment. I am a big McCullum fan, I always was when he was playing, so great to be working with him in the dressing room now.
Suryakumar Yadav the winning skipper said : The energy, the way we started after winning the toss, that set the benchmark. We took it from there. All the bowlers having their own plans, executing that, having good energy on the ground and the way we batted was the icing on the cake. (On picking three spinners) We wanted to stick to our strengths, we did the same thing when we played in South Africa.
Hardik took the responsibility of bowling with the new ball. So I had a little bit of cushion to play that extra spinner and all those three are doing a wonderful job. (On Varun) He’s keeping things very simple, he’s clear in his mind and most importantly, his preparations are on point. That’s what makes him different from the others. (On Arshdeep) With experience, he’s learning a lot, taking the extra responsibility.
He knew he was the only bowler who could bowl with the new ball today and then it was Hardik. He took that responsibility and he’s been doing it regularly. There’s a lot of freedom being given by Gauti bhai. We just want to play a little bit different from what we did in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
We have our plans, we are batting the same way and very happy with the way we are going. We’ve been working really hard with the fielding coach in all the sessions. There’s only one demand from him that we have good energy, take the half-chances and make a difference and that’s what everyone is doing.
Varun Chakravarthy Player of the Match for his 3 wickets said : I am used to seeing such pitches in the IPL. I know that it is for the seamers but I know there are certain lengths which is helpful for me. I am trying to keep it away from their arc, it was holding a bit.
Every over, bowling in Eden is challenging. To bowl to batsmen like Jos and other guys is definitely challenging. The last over was very tricky and challenging, but by God’s grace I was successful. What I realised was, I can’t beat batsmen with side-spin. the only way I can beat the batsmen is through bounce. I’m still 7 on 10, still more work to do.
India brutally cast aside England in the first T20I at Eden Gardens, as Abhishek Sharma’s 79 from just 34 deliveries munched a meagre target of 133 with 43 balls to spare.
Abhishek’s third 50-plus score in the format capped an accomplished all-round performance from India. A combination of Arshdeep Singh’s 2 for 17 up top and Varun Chakravarthy’s 3 for 23 through the middle accounted for England for 132, scuppering their attempts to mark Brendon McCullum’s first match in charge in the format with the attacking verve he craves.
But for Jos Buttler’s 68 – his 26th T20I fifty – things could have been worse. Buttler’s evening had begun by losing a crucial toss to Suryakumar Yadav. With the 7pm start in Kolkata, moisture was in the air throughout, and dew a factor in the first innings itself. Both captains wanted to bowl, and only one got the chance.
Arshdeep made the best of the conditions, removing openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett in his first 11 deliveries. Those dismissals took the left-arm seamer to 97 wickets in T20Is, leapfrogging Yuzvendra Chahal as India’s top wicket-taker in the format. By the time Buttler departed in the 17th over, he had provided 68 out of the 109 on the board, with Harry Brook the only batter to reach double-figures before Jofra Archer pitched in with 12 from No. 9.
Brook’s 17 was part of a stand of 48 with Buttler, the vice-captain and captain setting about a rebuild that was ended by Varun’s googlies. Varun bowled Brook and Liam Livingstone in the space of three deliveries to turn England back to rubble. His third was Buttler, holing out to deep square-leg.
Whatever little jeopardy there was in the chase, was restricted to just the fifth over, when Archer removed both Sanju Samson – who had done the early running – and Suryakumar for a duck in four deliveries. Archer, who bowled his four overs on the bounce having opened the innings, was comfortably the pick of England’s bowlers with 2 for 21. By contrast, Gus Atkinson was taken apart for 38 runs across his two overs, with his first blitzed for 22 by Samson.
The onus was then on Abhishek, who was put down by Adil Rashid on 29 off 16. He would bring up his half-century just four balls later. Though Rashid eventually got his man, India had all but established a 1-0 lead in this five-match series by then. A top-edged four from Tilak Varma off Mark Wood’s bouncer off the penultimate ball of the 13th over confirmed it.
India’s spin trio combined to produce figures of 5/67 off their 12 overs to lay down the early marker in the T20I series as they set up their side’s resounding seven-wicket win over England in Kolkata on Wednesday (January 22). In a battle that’s been billed as a contest between two exciting batting lineups, India gave England a reminder of their spin prowess in home conditions as they bowled out the visitors for just 132 before a blistering knock from Abhishek Sharma got the job done with 43 balls left in the game.
A thumping win for India! Almost everything went right for them. Won the toss, picked three frontline spinners unlike their opponents and skittled England out for 132. Arshdeep accounted for the openers, Varun Chakravarthy removed Brook and Livingstone in the middle overs, Bishnoi bowled a tight spell, Axar came back well with a couple of wickets after an expensive first over. Jos Buttler top-scored with a 44-ball 68 but none of his team-mates supported him with the bat.
In reply, India came out all guns blazing as England tried to attack with pace. Samson got off the blocks quickly and so did his opening partner Abhishek Sharma. The former was nipped out by Archer who also dismissed SKY in the same over. Post that, it was the Abhishek Sharma show! The left-handed opener hit sixes for fun and 68 out of his 79 runs came in boundaries (8 sixes and 5 fours). England were below-par with the bat and their bowlers were blown away.
India have taken a 1-0 lead in this 5-match series. A one-sided encounter today, something that most of us didn’t expect. 12 overs | 67 runs | 5 wickets – that’s how England’s batters fared against the Indian spinners. That will be the major battle that’ll grab a lot of eyeballs in this series. The teams will travel southwards to Chennai for the second T20I.