Indian wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul achieved a great feat after the victory against South Africa in the first ODI. The match took place at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg and had Indian dominance written all over it.
KL Rahul joined the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in registering 10 consecutive wins as captain in international cricket. The wicketkeeper-batsman, after an 8-wicket win over South Africa in Johannesburg, claimed his 10th consecutive win in domestic cricket and would hope to add more to his tally with 2 matches left in the series.
KL Rahul started his captaincy stint in the ODI series against South Africa on a high as India thrashed South Africa by 8 wickets. The wicketkeeper-batsman displayed brilliant skills by making amazing bowling changes, which turned out to be the difference.
India were asked to bat first and it was a magnificent effort on their part as they bowled amazingly well. Arshdeep Singh was the shining light for the team as he picked a five-wicket haul, while Avesh Khan bagged four scalps. The duo were on top of the South African batsmen as they bowled them out for just 116 runs.
With the bat, it was a piece of cake for India as Sai Sudharsan and Shreyas Iyer scored magnificent half-centuries and took their team home. The win in the first ODI was more of a redemption for KL Rahul as the last time he captained the team in a 50-over series in South Africa, he received a 3-0 whitewash.
KL Rahul himself mentioned that he was delighted to get a win under his belt after facing whitewash last time. He also credited the young players for the discipline they showed. Speaking after the victory, he explained:
“I’m happy. It’s good to have a win under our belt. Completely different to what we expected. The plan was to get the spinners involved in the game. The boys did very well. The boys did well to stay disciplined. The ball “it kept moving. A lot of cricket is played. You prioritize one format. For now, it’s Tests and T20s. Everyone is performing and trying to do well for the country. It’s a good opportunity for them to try international cricket.”
Without a doubt, KL Rahul is proving to be a great leader in ODIs. The type of leadership he has shown in recent games has been nothing short of exceptional. He would hope to win two more games.
IND vs SA: Most consecutive wins by Indian captain in international cricket; KL Rahul joins an elite list
Rohit Sharma tops the list for most consecutive wins by an Indian captain in international cricket. He won 19 games in a row during the period between 2019 and 2022. He also won 12 games in a row when he was not a regular captain in 2018. Virat Kohli is also third with 12 consecutive wins. KL Rahul became the third Indian captain to win 10 consecutive matches after beating South Africa.
Here is the list of most consecutive wins by Indian captain in international cricket
19 matches – Rohit Sharma (2019/22)12 matches – Rohit Sharma (2018)12 matches – Virat Kohli (2017) 10 matches – Rohit Sharma (2023)10 matches – KL Rahul (2022/23)*9 matches – MS Dhoni (2013)
