NZ v IND 2020: KL Rahul "pleased" to have overseen Team India's last act towards 5-0 T20I whitewash

Rahul led India in the second half to victory in the fifth and final T20I versus New Zealand.

After opening and wicketkeeping, KL Rahul wouldn't have imagined that he'll be captaining India also. But that's exactly what happened, as for the second half of the fifth and final T20I in Mount Maunganui on Sunday (February 2), Rahul was required to step up as a leader after stand-in captain Rohit Sharma got injured towards the closing stages of the first half.

Rahul, though, admirably accepted another responsibility bestowed upon him and did that successfully, helping India continue its winning juggernaut towards a rare T20I series whitewash over New Zealand. 

India rested regular skipper Virat Kohli for this game looking at the tour ahead. 

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"I am pleased. It is great to be standing here winning 5-0," the Karnataka lad said at the post-game presentation ceremony. "Very happy that my performances could result in victories for India. We were happy to come into this series with confidence and to keep executing our skills every game."

"We came up with answers from every situation and it is a great result for me and the side."

Rahul has been fantastic as India's first-choice wicketkeeper batsman and if he continues to be so, the 27-year-old might be seen doing the same dual role at the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. 

"I am batting really well now and I am happy to do the roles I am doing for my side. Not thinking too much about the T20 World Cup at the moment, but hopefully, I can continue batting this way," he said. 

The theme from the last two games followed as India sneaked past the door left open carelessly by the Kiwis. "I think it is a winning habit that we have cultivated wherein we want to win every time we step onto the ground. As a team we keep believing in each other," said Rahul, lauding his team's resilience and bouncebackability. 

"Leading up to the World Cup, there were a few strategies that we wanted to try out. It just keeps giving us more and more confidence to keep going around. We'll relax a little bit over the next couple of days and enjoy the victory," he added. 

Rahul also gave an update on Rohit's fitness ahead of the three-match ODI series that begins with the first game in Hamilton on Wednesday (February 5). 

"It is unfortunate what happened with Rohit, but hopefully he'll be fine in a couple of days," he said. 

(Inputs from Cricbuzz)