Rahul played a gritty knock of 64 in 103 balls to help the Men in Blue seal a 4-wicket victory at Kolkata's Eden Gardens...
Digital Desk: KL Rahul, who has come under intense scrutiny from cricket fans in recent months, came to India's aid and helped the Men in Blue secure a series victory in their ODI series of 2023. Rahul played a gritty knock of 64 in 103 balls to help the Men in Blue seal a 4-wicket victory at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.
India chased down the target of 216 with 6.4 overs to spare, ensuring they started the new year on a positive note. Following the collapse of India's top order, a 75-run partnership between Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul proved the difference between the two sides. Hardik scored 36 runs off 53 balls.
Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first. A half-century from debutant Nuwaindu Fernando helped Sri Lanka get off to a fast start, but a spectacular spell from Kuldeep saw the visitors fall from 101-1 to 126-6. Finally, some lower-order strikes helped them finish with a total of 215 points. Kuldeep and Mohammed Siraj each claimed three wickets, while Umran Malik took two. Axar Patel also contributed one wicket.
India's chase saw Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill look in command, but both were dismissed early for scores of 17 and 21, respectively, within the first six overs. Virat Kohli had a rare off day, scoring only four runs in nine games. Shreyas Iyer also left early after making a 33-ball 28.
Rahul and Hardik held their nerve despite the Sri Lankan bowlers breathing fire. Following Hardik's dismissal, Axar Patel scored 21 runs in 21 balls. India's bowling star Kuldeep Yadav ensured that there were no late hassles for Team India by scoring the winning runs in 10 balls.
The teams will now play each other in the third and final ODI on Sunday (January 15) at Thiruvananthapuram.
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