The showdown between two cricketing powerhouses has commenced at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The first T20I of the five-match series is currently underway. After winning the toss, India took the dew factor into account and made a wise choice by asking England to bat first. Arshdeep Singh dented England by picking up two quick wickets but Jos Buttler was quick to get into his work and studied the ship for the tourists after an early setback. 

Some big names were omitted from India's lineup including the likes of Shami, Bumrah, and Virat. But the absence of India's T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma left many supporters teary-eyed and emotional.

See also: Former Proteas great hints at a potential return to competitive cricket

'We miss him a lot' - Kolkata crowd's admiration for Rohit

The crowd at the Eden Gardens sees Rohit as a living legend. Sadded by the fact that Rohit announced his T20I retirement last year, the fans reportedly had tears in their eyes and admitted that they miss him a lot. 

Indians fans are getting emotional and missing their wc winning captain.🥹

Every second person is wearing 45 number jersey in Eden gardens.🥶 pic.twitter.com/jvTCh01wZg

— 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐮 (@Ro_45stan) January 22, 2025

To demonstrate their love for the former India captain, the fans wore Rohit's iconic jersey No. 45 and were cheering for team India to their fullest potential. 

Rohit is approaching the fag end of his career. Following India's dream run in the 2024 T20 World Cup edition, Rohit, along with Jadeja and Kohli announced their respective retirements from the shortest format. Although Rohit continues to captain the national side across Test and ODI formats, amidst deteriorating form, experts suggest that his days in international cricket could well be numbered.