After the Indian bowlers outclassed the Kiwi batsmen, Rahul remained unbeaten on 57 off 50 balls and his 86-run stand with Shreyas Iyer after the early dismissals of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma was the highlight of their innings.
Rahul had scored 56 in the first T20I against Kiwis in the same venue. "Obviously different circumstances, the target was different and the pitch was different from what we played on a couple of days before," Rahul said at the post-match presentation ceremony where he was named the man of the match.
"I knew what I had to do, I couldn't play the same way. I had a different responsibility. We lost Rohit and Kohli early, so I had to stay in there," he said.
According to Rahul, he understands his game better now, owing to which he has produced a steady run of big scores.
"The understanding of my game and reading my game has helped me to be more consistent. I always need to keep the team ahead, and what the team requires. I have come up with the right shots and the right answers. That has been my mantra over the last few games and in the T20 format," he added.