India started their ODI series against England with a solid 4-wicket victory, powered by Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Ravindra Jadeja. While the team delivered an impressive chase, KL Rahul’s brief and disappointing innings drew sharp criticism from cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar.

 

Rahul, who was chosen as wicketkeeper-batter over Rishabh Pant, managed only 2 runs off 9 balls before misjudging an Adil Rashid delivery. With Gill batting on 81 and eyeing a century, Rahul seemed focused on giving him the strike rather than playing his natural game. This backfired as he chipped a catch straight to the bowler.

 

Gavaskar was unimpressed, saying, “This is a team game. He was too focused on helping his partner reach a milestone instead of playing his own game.”

 

Match Recap

 

England, opting to bat first, started well with Phil Salt and Ben Duckett’s 75-run opening stand. However, India’s bowlers, led by Jadeja (3 wickets) and debutant Harshit Rana (3 wickets), restricted them to 248 all out. Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell were England’s top scorers.

 

In response, India chased the target in 38.4 overs. Gill’s 86 earned him the Player of the Match title, while Iyer and Axar Patel added crucial half-centuries.