KL Rahul showed his brilliant wicketkeeping skills by effecting a sensational run-out during the fifth and final T20I match between India and New Zealand at Mount Maunganui on Sunday
KL Rahul is the man of the hour. After helping India post a fighting total of 163/3 against New Zealand in the fifth and final T20I, the wicket-keeper was asked to lead the team with stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma injured. Then the 27-year-old then showed his brilliant glovework by effecting a sensational run-out at Mount Maunganui on Sunday.
Tim Seifert played the second ball of the 4th over to cover-point, where Sanju Samson fielded the ball and after measuring the side, bounced it for the wicketkeeper at the striker's end. Rahul took a dive and disturbed the wickets in one brilliant move even as Tom Bruce tried to make the ground after a mix-up. Result. A run-out and second successive duck for Bruce.
Watch it here:
He became the batsman with second-most runs in a bilateral T20I series. The right-handed batsman scored 224 runs in five innings, averaging averaged 56 in this series. The sequence of his scores: 45, 39, 27, 57 not out and 56. He overtook New Zealand opener Colin Munro, who made 223 vs West Indies in 2017-18.
The record belonged to Mozambique's Damiao Couana (vs Malawi in 2019-20), who made 233.
For India, the previous high was Virat Kohli's 199 runs against Australia in three T20Is in 2016.
Earlier, Rohit won the toss and opted to bat first as India rested Virat Kohli. Rahul (45) and Rohit (60), who batted at number three, stitched an 88-run stand after the yet another failure of Sanju Samson.
Then Shreyas Iyer hit 33 off 31 balls to help India post a fighting total of 163/3.