Virat Kohli All Praise for KL Rahul And Rohit Sharma After Series Win

In what was an absolute peach of a game, Virat Kohli and Co got the better of Kieron Pollard-led team in the T20I decider at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. India beat West Indies by runs to end the series on a good note. West Indies won the toss and invited India to bat first.

Much to their surprise and annoyance, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma pulled off all the tricks and techniques and set the stadium on fire by smashing boundaries at will. Once KL Rahul got set, he took his game to the next level whereas Rohit Sharma who failed to score in the first two games weaved the magic at his favourite stadium.

The opening duo constructed a vital 135-run stand for the opening wicket before the Indian vice-captain got out for 71 runs (34 balls) off Kesrick Williams’ bowling. Rohit’s candid knock included 6 fours and 5 sixes. Rishabh Pant who showed good signs of his comeback in the previous match with his 22-ball-33 got out for a duck.

KL Rahul who stitched a century-plus stand with Rohit Sharma, partnered with Virat Kohli and channelised the aggression in the right way. Both of them kept rotating the strike well and hit boundaries in crunch situations. KL Rahul missed out on a well-deserved century as he fell prey to Sheldon Cottrell.

The Indian fans praised Rahul’s 56-ball-91 (9 fours, 4 sixes) as the star performer made his way back to the pavilion. Special credits to Virat Kohli for his quick-fire 29-ball-71 which included 7 sixes and 4 fours. To sum it up, Rohit, Rahul and Kohli helped India post a mammoth 240/3 in their allotted quota of 20 overs.

In reply, West Indies struggled to pick the lengths of the Indian bowling brigade featuring the likes of Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav who picked two wickets apiece. They helped India restrict West Indies to 173/8 as India won the game by 67 runs. Kieron Pollard was the top-scorer for West Indies as he chipped in with a 39-ball-68 with the help of 6 sixes and 5 fours.

Virat Kohli on the win:

KL Rahul was named the man of the match for his flamboyant knock whereas Indian captain Virat Kohli was named the man of the series for accumulating 180 runs (94, 19, 70) to his name. He went on to praise KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma for providing a solid start to the game.

“We had spoken a lot. It was about going out there and executing. I was in the zone and I carried on. Told KL, he needs to bat on and hold one end. It was a pretty special innings and also being our second wedding anniversery, it was a special gift. Batting first we won and feels really good. I know I can contribute in all three formats.

I think two guys in the middle with clarity and the way Rahul and Rohit played today was the key today. Batting first, we have been too tight and hesitant, but this pitch allowed us to play freely. You don’t really feel the pressure when you have 20-25 runs on the board. Playing the World Cup in Australia, we will have to figure out how big the boundaries are,” Kohli signed off.