The Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma was seen signing autographs for fans in Thiruvananthapuram after the men in blue registered a dominating win over South Africa by eight wickets in the opening T20I of the three-match series on Wednesday, September 28. The win marks India’s 16th consecutive T20I victory in run chases in Indian conditions.d
A target of 107 on a two-paced pitch, it was a struggle before Suryakumar (50 not out in 33 balls) released the pressure created by KL Rahul (51 not out, 56 balls) as India won the game in 16.4 overs to go 1-0 up in three-match series. After the match, former India captain and crowd favorite Virat Kohli was seen talking with his wife Anushka Sharma. As the crowd went berserk, Kohli showed them what he was up to during his ride back to hotel in the team bus.
Here’s the video of the incident:
@imVkohli In Video Call With @AnushkaSharma While Returning From Match And Shows It To Fans 😂🤣💖#Virushka #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/YRVLNwZCiq
— virat_kohli_18_club (@KohliSensation) September 29, 2022
Young left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh broke the backbone of South Africa by scalping three wickets in the second over of the match. Arshdeep removed Quinton de Kock cheaply for one, and Rilee Rossouw and David Miller for golden ducks, giving India a dream start. Deepak Chahar joined the party, reducing South Africa to 9/5 after 2.3 overs.
WATCH – Rohit Sharma Laughed Off As Virat And Suryakumar Forced Him To Waste A DRS
Aiden Markram and Wayne Parnell tried to do some recovery job for the Proteas to overcome the horrendous start. Just when the South African ship started sailing, Harshal Patel trapped Markram in front for 25 and Axar Patel sent Parnell packing for 24. Towards the end, Keshav Maharaj fighting knock of 41 off 35 lifted South Africa to 106/8.
In reply, India lost big guns Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli early on. While Rohit was caught behind for a silver duck, Kohli walked back after contributing only three runs. KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav (50* off 33) made a brilliant partnership on a surface where the seamers were always in. Both went on to hit a fifty each, with Rahul (50* off 56 balls) scoring the slowest half-century for India in T20Is, to take India home.
WATCH – Arshdeep Singh Bowls A 3-wicket Over To Leave South Africa In Disarray
During the post-match presentation, Rohit Sharma said, “When you play a game like that you learn a lot. It was nice to play a game like that. Both teams were in the contest. We got wickets upfront, and that was the turning point. No matter what the conditions, you still have to execute your plans.”
