KL Rahul smashed an unbeaten 57 off 50 bal🧔ls and Shreyas Iyer scored an equally important 44 off 33 balls as India beat New Zealand by 7 wickets at Eden Park to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
The Men in Blue are now favorites 🎶to win their first-ever T20I series iඣn New Zealand.
Earlier, Ravindra Jadeja struck twice while Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur and Shivam Dube took one each for India as India restricted New Zealand at 132-5 in 20 overs during the second T20ꦜI in Auckland. Martin Guptill was the top-scorer for the hos♚ts with a 20-ball 33.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Over 300 runs for KL Rahul in his last 5 T20 innings.
Very impressed with the versatility that he has shown and adapted to different positions and roles.
Great support from Shreyas Iyer.
But this win was set up bey t🗹he bowlers who did not let NZ bataman to get away— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281)
The support a✃t Eden Park for India makes it seem like Eden Gardens. Amazing consistency from KL Rahul , and Shreyas Iyer getting better with each game. But a 🍨special mention to the bowlers today- Shami, Bumrah , Jadeja were top class. Clinical win
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag)
Perfect win no.2 for India!
NZ went fr🧜om 48/1 in the powerplay to 94/4 after 15✃ overs!
Indian bowlers s🍬et the game up in the middle overs for the team to win, as clinical @klrahul11 and walked yet another chase.
Different conditions, same result!
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif)
Brilliant bowling performance by team India. Real contarst from the first game. Simple but Good plan to ball slightly sಌhorter length to use bigger boundaries on the side.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan)
Excellent adaptation to the conditions … and execution from the bowlers today
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath)
2-💦0 up congratulations well played @klrahul11 superb bowling
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh)
KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer's explosive batting powers India to a seven-wicket win in the second T20I 💥
🇮🇳 now lead the series 2-0!
— ICC (@ICC)
Another win 🇮🇳👏👏👏 well done t𓃲eam india 🇮🇳 brilliant bowlling performances 👌👌👏👏 and top knock 👏 and @klrahul11 👏👏👏😊 congratulations guys 😊🇮🇳 2-🔯0
— Rahul Sharma (@ImRahulSharma3)
While we m𒀰ention @klrahul11 and this game was won𝓀 by the bowlers. a superb effort and were both terrific not to forget the last power play over from
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar)
KL Rahul's first two T20Is as wicketkeeper:
56 vs New Zealand, 24 Jan 2020
57* vs New Zealand, 26 Jan 2020KL 🀅Rahul is now the 1st player to score fifties in first two matches as ⛦a wicketkeeper in the history of T20I cricket.
— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats)
लगातार दूसरे मैच में जड्डू ने तगड़ी गेंदबाज़ी की। 2 wickets in 4 overs and conceded just 18 runs! Only bowler who didn't give a four or six in his bowling! Outstanding effort by helped India keeping New Zealand very quiet in the middle overs.
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh)
4-18-2 at Eden Park. Sir Jadeja🙏
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
ℱFrom just 35 innings, KL Rahul has 11 fifty and 2 hundred in T20 Internationals. Just Wow.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)
An explosive 3⃣rd wicket stand🌳 betwe🎉en KL Rahul (5⃣7⃣*) & (4⃣4⃣) sealed a comfortable victory for in the second T20I 👊
Next stop, Hamilton ✈
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals)
done r𝕴ight! ✅ lost couple of early wickets, but post that, it was a walk in the Ede𒊎n Park for the visitors! 🙌
🇳🇿 0 – 2 🇮🇳
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL)
1st T20I ☑️
2nd T20I ☑️🧡🇮🇳 🇮🇳🧡 (📸: BCCI)
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers)