India Player Ratings for 2nd T20I vs West Indies as Men in Blue seal series with thrilling victory
Riding on the back of fifties from Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, India recorded an eight-run win over West Indies in the second T20I to seal the three-match series.
Asked to bat first, India weathered a slow start to post 186/5 in their 20 overs. Although brilliant knocks from Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell sent a few jitters down the Indian spine, the hosts held their nerve at the death to clinch a hard-fought victory.
Here are India's player ratings for the second T20I against West Indies.
India vs West Indies 2nd T20I: Batters deliver for Men in Blue in Kolkata
Innings Break!
Half-centuries from @imVkohli (52) and @RishabhPant17 (52*) and an 18 ball 33 from Venkatesh Iyer propels #TeamIndia to a total of 186/5 on the board.
Scorecard - bit.ly/INDvWI-2NDT20I #INDvWI @Paytm https://t.co/G6aPAw3sur
Ishan Kishan: 1/10
Kishan's struggles at the top continued as he failed to middle anything during his 10-ball stay at the crease, which yielded only two runs. India might consider replacing him with Ruturaj Gaikwad in the next game, although the young southpaw is bound to come good at some point.
Rohit Sharma: 3/10
Rohit couldn't get going either. Although he hit two fours and a six, he often lost his shape while trying to hit across the line and fell to Roston Chase for the second game in a row.
Virat Kohli: 7/10
Kohli started with intent and helped India amass a decent powerplay score, but his post-powerplay batting woes continued to make matters difficult. He ended up with a fifty, but one that was scored at a strike rate of 126.82. The former skipper really needs to work on that aspect of his batting since he's occupying the No. 3 slot.
Suryakumar Yadav: 2/10
Suryakumar started with a boundary but was one of three Indian right-handers to be dismissed by an off-spinner. He offered a return catch, deceived by the dip and turn much like Kohli.
Rishabh Pant: 8.5/10
Pant's fifty was the difference between a distinctly sub-par Indian total and the one they eventually achieved. He was severe on any loose deliveries and helped the Men in Blue plunder runs after Kohli's dismissal.
Venkatesh Iyer: 8/10
Iyer, fresh off a valuable contribution in the first T20I, came up with another excellent performance. His 18-ball 33 injected momentum into the innings and took some pressure off Pant. The all-rounder seems to be growing into his No. 6 role.
Deepak Chahar: 3/10
Chahar started fairly economically, but the two overs he bowled outside the powerplay proved to be very costly. He leaked 40 runs in a wicketless spell, and it's clear both he and Bhuvneshwar Kumar cannot play together for India in T20Is.
Harshal Patel: 3/10
Harshal copped some stick at the hands of the Windies batters. His four overs went for 46, with Powell's two sixes in the final over taking things a little too close for India's liking.
Ravi Bishnoi: 6.5/10
Bishnoi dropped a regulation catch that handed Nicholas Pooran a reprieve yet again. But he was mostly tidy with the ball, dismissing Brandon King and conceding 30 runs in his spell.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 8/10
Bhuvneshwar was arguably the pick of the Indian bowlers. He bowled a spectacular penultimate over, conceding only four runs and sending back Pooran with a well-disguised variation.
Yuzvendra Chahal: 7/10
Chahal's poor luck with fielding while bowling to Pooran continued, but he bowled well at difficult stages of the innings. He ended up with figures similar to Bishnoi's - 1/31 in his four overs. The leggie's trust in the googly was a standout feature against the Windies' lefties.