In the second T20I match of the series against the visiting Sri Lanka, India have taken the lead by swiftly defeating the visitors by seven wickets. However, the innings played by the Indian opener KL Rahul (45) and the bewitching bowling figures of Navdeep Saini (2/18) became the highlight of the game. India is now having the upper hand on the visitors by 1-0 and will be looking forth to win the series-decider to carry on the winning streak from the previous year.
While Virat Kohli & co. are doing better and keeping up their performance in international cricket, Rahul has given consistent numbers to the team. He sticks to the ground for a longer time and trying to play big knocks in every innings. On being asked about the recent change in his game, the Indian opener said that he has gotten better at understanding his game now.
“I’ve just been getting runs and the reading of the game has gotten a lot better and knowing how to build my innings again,” said Rahul after India won the second T20I.
Rahul gives bowlers credit for winning the second T20I:
The 27-year-old cricketer has added that this was missing with him but now he has gotten better at reading the game and he is happy to be consistent with the bat.
“I felt that was lacking and I always knew I had the game to get the runs and it was just a matter of spending time in the middle. Really happy to carry on the same way,” Rahul added.
Meanwhile, he credited the Indian bowlers for helping the team clinch the lead in the three-match series. After choosing to bowl first, the Indian bowlers made it difficult for the visitors to score past even 150 runs as Shardul Thakur took away three wickets while Saini and Kuldeep Yadav plucked two. By the time the first 20 overs were done, Sri Lanka could gather only about 142 runs for nine wickets.
Now the hosts were to chase the target of 143 runs which they swiftly hunted down in less than 18 overs and seven wickets still safe in their kit. Rahul, who scored a stunning 32-ball 45 runs, and Shreyas Iyer (34 off of 26 balls) were the top run-getters for the team.
“It was a smaller target and my plans were simple which is to spend some time in the middle. Our bowlers bowled really well and anything around 170 on this wicket would have been par. A lot of credit must go to the bowlers,” he said.
With KL Rahul being consistent in his performance, India has its hands full with the openers. Currently, the opener Rohit Sharma has been given rest for the entire Sri Lanka series while Shikhar Dhawan is back at the field after recovering from a severe knee injury.
Meanwhile, Rahul appreciated Rohit Sharma, saying that the veteran run-machine made it look easy. Rahul previously opened with Shikhar in numerous games before he was dropped from the Test cricket after 2018. The youngster has experience of opening the game with both the cricketers and enjoys batting with both of them.
“We all go out there with a simple plan which is to win the game for your country. He (Rohit) makes it look easy and I’ve always batted with Shikhar especially at the start of my Test career and we understand each other well and I just enjoy batting with both of them,” Rahul said.
In the victorious innings of India, Rahul put up a 71-run opening partnership with Shikhar Dhawan before Rahul was taken down by Hasaranga in the 10th over. Meanwhile, in the T20I series against West Indies held in December last year, Rahul aced his game by scoring two half-centuries, the second time he was merely nine runs away from turning it into a century.