IND vs WI, 3rd T20I: Kohli Blitz After Rohit-Rahul Show Sets 241-Run Target For Windies

Fifties from both the openers and an extra-ordinary cameo from the captain has put the hosts in contention to win the last series at home by a healthy margin

Once again Virat Kohli finished the things off in style as India posted a mammoth 240-run total on the board in the decider T20I against West Indies in Mumbai. Fifties from both the openers and an extra-ordinary cameo from the captain put the hosts in contention to win the last series at home by a healthy margin. The Caribbean guests need 241 runs to clinch the series. Put to bat first, the Indian openers were off to a ferocious start right from the over 1. Neither Rohit Sharma nor his partner, KL Rahul, showed mercy to the Caribbean bowlers. The HITMAN slammed the first six of his innings in the third over and became the first Indian to slam 400 maximums in the international circuit.

Another 50 for @klrahul11 in T20Is.#TeamIndia 108/0 after 9.1 overs. pic.twitter.com/15Toax9o96

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 11, 2019

The opening duo kept on mauling the opposition as they put 100 runs on the board in just 8 overs. In due course, both the batters notched up their respective half-century and continued the momentum until the Indian vice-captain miscued a Kesrick Williams delivery, ending up getting caught by Hayden Walsh Jr.

FIFTY!

Rohit Sharma brings up his 19th T20I half-century with a maximum 👏👏#INDvWI pic.twitter.com/xzr09ZHtL1 — BCCI (@BCCI) December 11, 2019

A massive 135-run partnership came to an end with Rohit’s wicket who scored 71 off 34, including 5 sixes and 6 boundaries. Once again the team management experimented with the Number 3 slot and deployed Rishabh Pant to contribute in the hard-hitting. However, the young wicketkeeper-batsman wasn’t fortunate enough as he terribly failed to deliver, grabbing a 2-ball duck. Pant attempted sending a Pollard off-cutter out of the park only to find Jason Holder near the long-off boundary. The momentum slowed down a bit after back to back jolts but captain Kohli made sure that the Mumbai crowd shouldn't return disappointed. He joined Rahul at the centre and further tortured the West Indies bowlers. Unlike his previous outing, Kohli began charging right from the beginning and seemed completely unstoppable. He scored the 24^th half-century of his T20I career off just 21 balls and remained unbeaten on 70. His magnificent innings was laced with 7 sixes and 4 boundaries.

24th T20I FIFTY for #KingKohli. This has been an absolute carnage by the Run Machine #INDvWI pic.twitter.com/ThiAp3WgFx

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 11, 2019

Rahul, on the other hand, missed out on his 3^rd T20I century by 9 runs as he lost his wicket to Sheldon Cottrell in the final over. It was short of the length delivery and Rahul went for the pull but got a fat top-edge and stood straight. Stumper Nicholas Pooran took an easy catch to send the Indian opener packing for 91.