NZ vs IND 2020: KL Rahul smashes century in third ODI; creates impressive record

KL Rahul continued his majestic form with the bat in limited-overs cricket after smashing a century in the third and final ODI against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui and etched his name in the record books.

With his ton, Rahul became the first Indian batsman to score a century against New Zealand while coming to bat at number five or below. The last Indian batsman to score a century after coming to bat at number five for India was Mahendra Singh Dhoni against England in 2017, which indicates how rare and difficult it is to conjure up a meaningful inning when you’re batting lower down the order.

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Besides the above, Rahul also surpassed captain Virat Kohli in an elite list which is led by Shikhar Dhawan – the wicket-keeper has gone past the three-figure mark four times in 31 innings, whilst Kohli took 36 innings to achieve the same and is at third place in the list, with Rahul occupying the second spot. Dhawan still leads this list, as the southpaw took just 24 innings to notch up four centuries.

Rahul’s century came at a very crucial juncture for India as their top order failed to deliver once again, and the visitors found themselves in a very precarious position. However, Shreyas Iyer and Rahul’s gritty knocks powered the Men in Blue to a respectable total of 297 at the end of 50 overs.