Arshdeep Singh edging closer to T20I HISTORY, only THREE wickets away from becoming...

India's dominant performance in the first T20I against England at Eden Gardens, Kolkata ended in a resounding victory. The Indian bowlers showcased their talent on a challenging pitch, restricting England to a mere 132 runs. Arshdeep Singh led the charge by claiming crucial wickets of Phil Salt and Ben Duckett, while Varun Chakravarthy stole the show with an exceptional performance, earning the 'Man of the Match' title for his three wickets for 23 runs. Notably, Arshdeep Singh made history by surpassing Yuzvendra Chahal as India's highest wicket-taker in T20Is with an impressive tally of 96 wickets. The win was a testament to India's bowling prowess and solidified their dominance in the series.

Arshdeep, currently with 97 wickets, has the opportunity to set a significant record in the upcoming second T20I at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. He requires just three more wickets to become the quickest fast bowler to achieve 100 wickets in T20I history. The existing record for the fastest to reach 100 T20I wickets among fast bowlers is held by Haris Rauf, who accomplished this feat in 71 matches. Arshdeep has played 61 matches, meaning he has 10 T20Is left to surpass Rauf and claim the top spot.

If Arshdeep takes three wickets, he will rank as the third fastest bowler to achieve this milestone. Rashid Khan holds the record for the quickest to reach 100 T20I wickets in 53 matches, while Sandeep Lamichhane follows closely with 100 wickets in 54 matches. Wanindu Hasaranga is currently in third place with 100 wickets in 63 games.

It was unexpected that Mohammed Shami was left out of the playing XI for the first T20I, and he may also be absent from the second match. The pitch in Chennai is expected to favor spinners, which could lead India to maintain the same lineup. Since Shami is returning from an injury, India may prefer to take their time before including him in the XI, particularly with the Champions Trophy approaching in a few weeks.