Man of the Match India vs South Africa today 2nd T20I: Who won today Match of the Match IND vs SA Guwahati T20?

Man of the Match India vs South Africa: The Indian vice-captain won a T20I match award after more than 33 months tonight.

During the second T20I of South Africa’s second tour of India 2022 in Guwahati, India beat South Africa by 16 runs to gain an unassailable 2-0 lead in a three-match series.

Chasing a mammoth 238-run target, South Africa struggled throughout the powerplay to only score 45/2. The visitors’ speed of scoring runs didn’t change a lot even after the fielding restrictions were lifted as all they managed at the halfway mark was 70/3.

Having said that, a quick turnaround primarily due to batter David Miller’s second T20I century witnessed them scoring 151/0 in the second half of their innings. Wicket-keeper batter Quinton de Kock (69*) and Miller (106*) couldn’t steer South Africa past the victory line but managed to register the highest T20I fourth-wicket partnership on the back of an 82-ball 174-run stand.

Man of the Match India vs South Africa today 2nd T20I

India captain Rohit Sharma finally lost a toss after winning three in a row lately. Asked to bat first by South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, India registered their fourth-highest innings total of 237/3 in 20 overs.

A 59-ball 96-run opening partnership between vice-captain KL Rahul (57) and Sharma (43) was followed by an even better 40-ball 102-run third-wicket partnership between former captain Virat Kohli (49*) and batter Suryakumar Yadav (61).

While Yadav hit five fours and as many sixes at an incredible strike rate of 277.27 tonight, Rahul was declared the Player of the Match for hitting five fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 203.57.

“It is important as an opener to understand what is required on a day and give it your best. It is the mindset I have always played in and will continue to do the same. Satisfying to test yourself in different conditions,” Rahul told Star Sports after winning his fourth T20I match award.

In what was Rahul’s 20th T20I half-century, it was his 19th as an opening batter, 16th in Asia, 12th at home, seventh under Sharma, fourth in 2022 and second in as many matches against this opposition in his first-ever match at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.