As an Indian fan, the 1st T20I between India and England was pure happiness, with the hosts winning by 7 wickets and 43 balls to spare at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. However, it seems that being a Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fan was not a moment of joy, as the realisation struck that their three newest recruits¡ªPhil Salt, Jacob Bethell, and Liam Livingstone¡ªwere all dismissed cheaply in the opening game.
During the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction held last November in Jeddah, RCB had picked 18 players while also retaining one player using the Right to Match card. Among them, eight were overseas players, including three from England. All three English players featured in the opening T20I of the five-match series on Wednesday but collectively managed to score just seven runs.
England opener Phil Salt, signed for INR 11.50 crore, was dismissed for a three-ball duck by Arshdeep Singh in the first over. Liam Livingstone, acquired for INR 8.75 crore at the auction, also fell for a duck, bowled by Varun Chakravarthy. Meanwhile, Jacob Bethell, who many regarded as the next big thing and was signed for INR 2.6 crore during the auction, struggled against the spinners and was later cleaned up by Hardik Pandya for 7 off 14 balls.?
It didn't take long for fans on the internet to troll the franchise, with many even congratulating them for the upcoming season of the IPL. Many on X (formerly known as Twitter) were quick to create memes, which soon went viral.?
One wrote, "New RCB batters in this match-Runs- 0+0+7, Strike Rate- 50, Bought by RCB but showing tribute to Thala"
Another said, "RCB bloods at Eden garden, Iconic!"?
?One even said, "Let's all laugh at rcb"
The Men in Blue had won the toss and opted to bowl first. The decision to field three spinners on the Eden Gardens track, traditionally known to favor fast bowlers had left experts surprised. Many even spoke about why India chose to bench Mohammed Shami, which sparked fitness concerns just a month ahead of the Champions Trophy.?
However, the spinners proved their worth as India bowled England out for 132 runs in 20 overs. The trio of Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravi Bishnoi shared five wickets among them, maintaining an economy rate of less than a run per ball. Meanwhile, the pacers chipped in with four wickets but conceded runs at nearly eight per over.?
England captain Jos Buttler was the only man who stood tall with a valiant 68 off 44 balls, including eight boundaries and two sixes. However, the he did not recieve support from the other end.?
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