Watch: KL Rahul lights up India’s T20 World Cup warmup match against Australia with 33-ball 57 – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

KL Rahul continued his fine form with the bat as he struck a lively 57 off 33 balls in India’s first warm-up clash of the T20 World Cup against hosts Australia in Brisbane on Monday.

The India vice-captain, who struck consecutive half-centuries in the recent T20I series against South Africa at home before this trip, struck three maximums and twice as many fours, getting Team India off to a confident start after they were invited to bat by Australia captain Aaron Finch, who won the toss.

Rahul was particularly aggressive in the third and fourth overs of the Indian innings, bowled by Pat Cummins and Marcus Stoinis respectively. After smacking Australia Test captain Cummins for a six and a four inside three balls, he collected two fours and as many sixes off Stoinis, who conceded 20 in his first over of the day.

Rahul would then bring up the fifty for Team India with a wristy flick over the midwicket fence off Cummins the next over.

The Lucknow Super Giants skipper would then bring up his half-century in just 27 deliveries with a single off Glenn Maxwell in the final over of the powerplay. Maxwell, however, would account for his wicket in his second over as Rahul holed out to Ashton Agar at deep midwicket to depart for 57 in the eighth over.

Plenty of questions had been raised on his status as the first-choice opener in the Indian XI until recently, but his latest knock, as well as his valuable contributions in matches preceding this warm-up will have silenced critics for now.