The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, faced significant backlash from fans on social media on Wednesday following the dismal performance of three of their recent acquisitions for the 2025 tournament. This occurred during the first T20I match between India and England held in Kolkata.

During the IPL mega auction in November in Jeddah, RCB secured 18 players, utilizing the Right To Match card for an additional player. Among these, eight were international players, including three from England. All three English players participated in the opening T20I of the five-match series against India on Wednesday, collectively scoring a mere seven runs.

Phil Salt, an England opener acquired for INR 11.50 crore, was dismissed for a three-ball duck by Arshdeep Singh in the first over after India chose to bowl first at Eden Gardens. Liam Livingstone, who has signed for INR 8.75 crore, also failed to score, falling to Varun Chakravarthy. Jacob Bethell, who struggled against the spin attack, managed only 7 runs off 14 balls before being dismissed by Hardik Pandya; he was acquired for INR 2.6 crore at the auction.

Spinners help India fold England for 132

The analysts were taken aback when India opted for three spinners on the Eden Gardens pitch, which was generally believed to favour fast bowlers. Additionally, India's decision to leave Mohammed Shami out of the lineup raised concerns regarding his fitness, especially with only a month remaining before the Champions Trophy.

Nevertheless, it was the spin bowlers who played a crucial role in restricting England to a mere 132 runs in Kolkata. The trio of Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravi Bishnoi collectively claimed five wickets at an impressive economy rate of less than one run per ball, while the fast bowlers managed to take four wickets at an economy rate nearing eight runs per over.

The only notable performer for England was captain Jos Buttler, who scored 68 runs off 44 balls, featuring eight boundaries and two sixes.

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