India started the T20I Series with a win over England, but Player of the Match debate rages on. The Men in Blue commenced their five-match T20I series against England with a convincing seven-wicket victory in Kolkata on Wednesday. While Varun Chakravarthy was awarded the Player of the Match for his impressive 3/23, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has a different opinion.

In his YouTube channel, Ali lauded Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh’s performance in the opening T20I. Despite Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 79-run knock and Varun’s three-wicket haul, Ali believes Arshdeep’s impact was more significant.

“The Man of the Match debate is between Abhishek Sharma and Varun. However, I believe Arshdeep deserves the award. His impactful bowling at the top significantly disrupted the opposition’s batting order, and he effectively finished the match within three overs.” (10:08)

“India required a sixth bowling option today. All bowlers, except Hardik Pandya, performed admirably. Similarly, all batters, except Suryakumar Yadav, contributed positively.” (11:15)

India showcased a dominant bowling performance in the first match. Ali praised the entire bowling unit, singling out Arshdeep Singh as the standout performer, even though he claimed only two wickets.

“Varun Chakravarthy’s bowling was exceptional, yielding three wickets. Nevertheless, I consider Arshdeep’s performance to be the most outstanding, despite taking only two wickets. Bishnoi also bowled well, conceding 22 runs in four overs without taking a wicket,” he added.

“Axar Patel’s performance was commendable, particularly his impressive comeback after conceding 15 runs in an over, especially considering the challenging conditions of a wet ball.”

The series now moves to Chennai for the second T20I on Saturday.