After the conclusion of the three-match ODI series, India and New Zealand gathered in Ranchi to start the T20I leg of the bilateral contest. As Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul have been rested from the T20Is, Hardik Pandya is leading the young brigade at JSCA International Stadium Complex, in Ranchi.
As India invited Kiwis to bat first, opener Finn Allen turned the game on its head by scoring 23 off in just two overs. The right-handed batter smashed the Indian skipper for 12 runs in the first over of the match followed by 11 runs in the second over.
While New Zealand quickly added 37 runs in four overs, Washington Sundar controlled the damage by taking two wickets in the fifth over.
While Team India bounced back in the game after early tremors, Men in Blue got support from someone very special in the stadium. Interestingly, former Indian skipper MS Dhoni along with his wife Sakshi was spotted cheering for Men in Blue.
The video immediately went viral on social media. Fans in the stadium also chanted ‘Dhoni Dhoni’ as the world-cup winning captain was spotted by the cameraman.
Watch the video here:
Earlier, MS Dhoni met the Indian cricket team players ahead of their first T20I of the three-match series against New Zealand. The Board of Control for Cricket in India shared a video on social media on Thursday in which Dhoni could be seen meeting the likes of Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav.