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Former India captain Kapil Dev expressed his delight with the way India engineered a commanding victory over England in the first T20I in Kolkata.
After the conclusion of the white-ball series with England, India will begin its journey of lifting the Champions Trophy next month. Ahead of the marquee event, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain said he "always" has best wishes for the Indian team. But before India shifts its focus to the One-Day format, the spotlight will be on India's performance in the T20I format. India kicked off the five-match series with flying colours in Kolkata. With an all-rounded effort, England were stumped at the Eden Gardens as India celebrated an emphatic 7-wicket win. The series opener was expected to be a high-scoring affair, but the brilliance of the Indian bowlers turned it into a one-sided affair. Arshdeep Singh made the English opening pair of Ben Duckett and Phil Salt bite dust. Varun Chakravarthy remained a mystery for the visitors as he effortlessly cleaned up the middle order. Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya chipped in, forcing England to succumb to a paltry total of 132. In reply, Abhishek Sharma singlehandedly took the game away from England. His 79-run onslaught from 34 deliveries put the final nail in the coffin as India chased down the target with more than seven overs to spare. "It felt good to see India winning the game yesterday. I hope India keeps on playing like this. I feel really happy," Kapil Dev told reporters on Thursday. The T20I series will be followed by three ODIs against England, which will be the perfect opportunity for both teams to try and test their combination. India, the last edition's finalists, will look to go all the way and lift the coveted trophy for the first time since 2013. India remains a favourite despite the concerning form of the Indian stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Kapil said he "always" has best wishes for the Rohit Sharma-led side, which will begin its campaign on February 20. (ANI)
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