Watch: Abhishek Sharma’s Brilliant 79 Guides India to Victory Over England in T20I Series Opener
Watch Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 79-run knock as India chases down 133 to beat England by seven wickets in the T20I series opener. His brilliant batting performance, along with stellar bowling by Varun Chakravarthy, gives India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Kolkata: Abhishek Sharma played a scintillating knock of 79 to help India chase down 133 in just 12.5 overs, leading the team to a seven-wicket victory over England in the T20I series opener at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. The win also gave India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Stellar Bowling Performance from India
Earlier, India’s bowlers delivered an outstanding performance, restricting England to just 132 all out. Wrist-spinner Varun Chakravarthy was the star with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 3-23. Arshdeep Singh also played a key role, taking 2-17 to help bowl out England in their 20 overs.
Abhishek Sharma’s Masterclass with the Bat
Abhishek Sharma was the standout performer for India with the bat. He dominated the chase, smashing five boundaries and eight sixes in his 34-ball innings. Out of his 79 runs, 68 came from boundaries, showcasing a mix of finesse and brute force. His explosive knock anchored India’s chase and ensured a comprehensive victory.
India’s chase began strongly, with Sanju Samson hitting four boundaries and a six in the second over, taking 22 runs off Gus Atkinson. Abhishek got off the mark with a flurry of shots, carving Jofra Archer for a four and a six. However, Archer made a comeback, dismissing Samson and Suryakumar Yadav for quick wickets.
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Continued Dominance and Match Finish
From there, Abhishek took control, blasting Mark Wood for two sixes and a four, and then dispatching Adil Rashid for one four and two sixes. He brought up his fifty in just 20 balls with a massive six off Jamie Overton. His onslaught continued as he lofted Liam Livingstone for a four and hit Atkinson for three boundaries.
Abhishek’s entertaining knock came to an end when he mistimed a googly to long-off after being dropped earlier in the over. Tilak Varma remained unbeaten, scoring 19 off 16 balls, including the winning run, as India completed the chase in just 12.5 overs, with 43 balls to spare.
Brief Scores:
- England: 132 all out in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 68; Varun Chakravarthy 3-23, Arshdeep Singh 2-17)
- India: 133/3 in 12.5 overs (Abhishek Sharma 79; Jofra Archer 2-21) – India won by 7 wickets
