NZ vs IND: KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer shine with bat as India defeat New Zealand by 7 wickets in 2nd T20I
KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer's individual brilliance help India defeat New Zealand by 7 wickets in Auckland.
Team India cruised to a seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the second T20I match at the Eden Park in Auckland on Sunday (January 26).
With this victory, the Men In Blue has gained a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
In chase of a target score of 133, India lost its start opener Rohit Sharma (8) in the very first over of the innings as Tim Southee gave the Kiwis an early breakthrough.
Skipper Virat Kohli then came in and formed a 31-run partnership with KL Rahul before Southee struck again for the home side and sent Kohli (11) back to the dressing room in the sixth over, reducing India to 39/2.
However, it was Shreyas Iyer's introduction which revitalized India by forming a match-winning partnership with KL.
The charismatic duo knitted together an 86-run partnership before Ish Sodhi dismissed Iyer (44) in the 17th over and India lost their third wicket on the chase.
Ultimately, Rahul and Shivam Dube took the visiting team over the finishing line with 15 balls to spare.
KL played an unbeaten innings of 57 runs off 50 deliveries.
Earlier in the day, New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first and was restricted to 132/5 in the allotted twenty overs thanks to some terrific bowling from the Indian bowlers.
Martin Guptill and Colin Munro gave a steady start to the Black Caps, forming a serging opening partnership of 48 runs for the first wicket.
However, it was Shardul Thakur who provided India with the much-needed breakthrough by removing Guptill (33) on the final ball of the sixth over.
It was Shivam Dube who struck next for India in the ninth over, removing Munro for 26 runs.
Star allrounder Ravindra Jadeja was in top form as he removed Colin de Grandhomme (3) and the Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson (14) in quick successions.
Towards the end of the first innings, Tim Seifert's 33-run unbeaten innings off 26 balls helped the home side cross the 130-run mark.
The two sides will lock horns again on January 29 at the Seddon Park in Hamilton for the third T20I clash of the series.
Brief Scores: India 135/3 (KL Rahul 57*, Shreyas Iyer 44, Tim Southee 2-12) defeat New Zealand 132/5 (Tim Seifert 33, Colin Munro 26, Ravindra Jadeja 2-18) by seven wickets.