KL Rahul made an unbeaten 57 on Sunday as India beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the second Twenty20 international to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Rahul and Shreyas Iyer put on 86 for the third wicket as India cruised past New Zealand's total of 132/5 with 15 deliveries to spare. Shivam Dube (13*) hit the winning runs, smashing a six off Tim Southee in the 18th over to power India to 135/3.
Iyer and Rahul had also contributed in India’s victory over New Zealand in the first match of the series.
New Zealand, who had amassed 203/5 batting first in the first tie, struggled to achieve any real momentum with Indian bowlers picking wickets at regular intervals. Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers as he returned figures of 2/18 in his four overs.
Here’s a look at the top stats from the 2nd T20 international played at Eden Park in Auckland on Sunday:
- India have won all three T20Is played at Eden Park, Auckland between 8 February 2019 and 26 January 2020.
- India have won two consecutive matches against New Zealand for the first time in T20 internationals — by six wickets on 24 January 2020 and by seven wickets on 26 January 2020.
- KL Rahul has registered three consecutive fifties for the first time in T20Is — 54 vs Sri Lanka at Pune; 56 and 57 not out — both vs New Zealand in the ongoing series.
- KL Rahul is the third Indian batsman after Virat Kohli (thrice) and Rohit Sharma to post three consecutive fifties in T20Is. The half-century on Sunday was his 11th in T20Is.
- Rahul received his third Man of the Match award in T20Is – his first against New Zealand.
- Ravindra Jadeja (2/18) recorded his best figures in T20Is outside Asia. This is also his best figures against New Zealand in T20Is.
- For the first time in his career, Shreyas Iyer has posted two successive scores of 40 or more in T20Is — 58 not out on 24 January and 44 on 26 January 2020.
- Colin Munro and Martin Guptill became the second New Zealand pair after Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson (1151) and the seventh overall to amass 1,000 runs in T20Is — 1007 (ave 40.28) in 26 innings.
- Colin de Grandhomme, since posting 55 vs England at Nelson on November 5, 2019, has recorded four successive single digit figures in T20Is — 7 & 6 vs England and 0 & 3 vs India.
- Martin Guptill is now just one short of amassing 2,500 runs in T20Is — his present tally being 2,499 (ave 33.32) in 85 matches.
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