Two successive T20I half centuries in New Zealand has certainly brought KL Rahul into limelight. But do you know that in the process, Rahul has created a new world record.
It is because of Rahul’s batting that India have already taken a 2-0 lead in the five-game series. Rahul has started keeping wickets in the T20I format in New Zealand only. Sunday’s game was his second T20I game as a wicketkeeper-batsman. In the first played at Auckland, he had also scored a half century. And when he again got to 50 runs in the game played Sunday, he became the first wicketkeeper-batsman in the world to hit two successive half centuries in the T20I format. No other glovesman has been able to achieve such a feat so far.
Among the Indian wicketkeeper-batsmen, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has two T20I half centuries, Rishabh Pant has one. However, Dhoni did not get his 50-plus scores in succession. Hence, Rahul created a new record of sorts when he scored his half century.
It is now quite clear that the Indian think-tank is thinking of Rahul as a wicket-keeper in the T20 format, because of his form with the bat. In spite of a large number of opportunities, Pant has not really come good with the bat in white ball cricket. Virat Kohli has also clarified that at this moment, Rahul is the first choice as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the T20 format. Hence, if he continues to don the gloves behind the stumps there is nothing to get surprised about.
In the two games played in New Zealand, the Indian opener has so far scored 113 runs at an average of 113 and a strike rate which is close to 150. Astounding indeed. The form in which Rahul is in, one can expect many more such knocks from him in the remaining three games. Certainly he has been a thorn in the flesh as far as the Kiwis are concerned.
PNN & Agencies