Rahul's Mentorship: Calming Rana's Six-Hitting Urge Seals India Win

Rahul, who shared a crucial partnership of 37 runs partnership with Rana in the closing stages of the run chase on Sunday, spoke in detail about calming the youngster and guiding him through the pressure situation.

"Batting with Harshit Rana in the final overs was fun. I had to calm him down. He kept asking me to remind him not to try and hit a six every ball, because that was his mindset. I had to settle him. He is new to ODIs and hasn't played many games," Rahul said on JioHotstar.

Highlighting Rana's growing reputation within the team, Rahul added that the dressing room is fully aware of the youngster's potential.

"We have all seen his potential. He batted well in Australia and has played crucial knocks for the team. The dressing room sees his potential and wants him to develop into a great cricketer, the kind of player every team wants to have in their squad," he said.

Rahul also touched upon Rana's all-round attributes, which make him a valuable asset in limited-overs cricket.

"He is tall, bowls at 145 kph with good variations, and can contribute with the bat. He has a good attitude. Sometimes he is a little overconfident, but I'd rather have that than no confidence at all," Rahul explained.

Revealing the strategy they followed during the chase, Rahul said the focus was on minimising risk once Rana found his rhythm.

"Once he hit a few boundaries, I told him we weren't chasing much. We aimed for one boundary an over, took one calculated risk, and then tried to get me back on strike," he said.

Rana showcased his all-round skills against New Zealand in the first ODI in Vadodara on Sunday. With the ball, he scalped two wickets, removing both the New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls.

With the bat, Rana played a vital cameo under pressure, scoring 29 off 23 balls, which included two fours and a six. His timely contribution eased the pressure on Rahul and played a key role in guiding India through a tricky phase of the chase.

India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the first ODI in Vadodara on Sunday. The hosts lost momentum after Virat Kohli was dismissed for 93, but KL Rahul's calm and composed 29 not out off 21 balls sealed the victory for India in the second last over.

India pulled off a thrilling chase, reaching 301 in the second last over of the innings, with Rahul and Washington Sundar putting up a decent partnership to seal the win by four wickets.

- ANI