KL Rahul led India to a thrilling victory against New Zealand in the first One Day International, showcasing a resilient chase despite his batting partner Washington Sundar facing injury issues. Sundar, who hobbled off during New Zealand’s innings after bowling five overs for 27 runs, surprisingly joined Rahul in India’s innings, even though he had not returned to the field.
Post-match, India’s captain Shubman Gill announced that Sundar would undergo a scan due to a side strain. In the process of chasing a challenging target of 301 runs, Rahul played a pivotal role, scoring an unbeaten 29 off 21 balls, while Sundar contributed seven runs from seven balls.
Chasing down the target, India received significant contributions from Virat Kohli (93), Shubman Gill (56), and Shreyas Iyer (49), setting the stage for Rahul’s finishing touches alongside Sundar and Harshit Rana. Rahul, reflecting on the last few overs, stated, “I don’t think the pressure really came in during the last 4-5 overs. Harshit did a terrific job as soon as he walked in. He took a lot of pressure off me with the way he struck the ball, and suddenly the chase became much easier.” He maintained his composure as the required run rate hovered around 6-7 an over, a rate he expected his team to comfortably chase.
Interestingly, Rahul admitted he was unaware of Sundar’s struggle to run, saying, “I knew he had a bit of an injury in the first innings, but I wasn’t aware of the extent. That said, he was striking the ball really well. When he came in, we were already going at about a run-a-ball, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks.” With Sundar effectively rotating the strike, he fulfilled his role adequately, contributing to the team’s overall success.
When asked about the pitch conditions, Sundar asserted, “Not really. I thought it played pretty much the same throughout the 100 overs. The new ball was the best time to bat on this wicket.” He acknowledged the strong start by Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, noting their partnership set the right tone for the innings. Sundar added, “If we’d gone at 4-5 an over early on, the chase later could’ve been 7-8 an over, which is always tough.” Although the pitch slowed down later, the efficiency of the top-order batters made it easier for those following.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/washington-sundar-couldnt-run-kl-rahul-india-victory-10468131/
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Publish Date: 2026-01-12 02:08:00
