Ireland vs India 2018: 5 takeaways from the T20I series
For Afghanistan and Ireland, two two-day lessons from Team India, in two completely polar formats, highlighted why Test cricket's newest entrants have loads of catching up to do.
Against an Indian side built with superstars, the Irish side was no match, serving as a dress-rehearsal for Kohli's men ahead of their arduous England tour.
While the matches turned out to be a damp squib for the hosts, there were some takeaways for the Indian team, before they set foot on the neighboring islands within a week's time.
Here are five key takeaways:
#5 KL Rahul is in the form of his life
It's very difficult to keep Lokesh Rahul out of the T20I team. A year ago, he was being given mixed signals from the BCCI regarding his spot in the limited-overs squad. A bumper season in the Indian Premier League, where he scored over 600 runs for the Kings XI Punjab as an opener, meant that he was on the flight to the United Kingdom.
Although Kohli preferred the tried set of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in the first game, experimentation guaranteed Rahul a place in the second game, and he did not disappoint.
Pulverising the Irish attack with a 36-ball 70, Rahul has made a strong case for himself before the English T20Is begin.