"That is correct, the board is working on his fitness and he will be going to Germany soon," BCCI secretary Jay Shah was quoted as saying in a report by Cricbuzz on Thursday. The report added that Rahul may leave for Germany by the end of this month or in early July.
It means that Rahul will miss the England tour entirely, where India are to play the Edgbaston Test from July 1 to 5 and three T20Is, followed by as many ODIs. He was named vice-captain under Rohit Sharma for the Edgbaston Test but now, the Indian selection committee will have to name another deputy in place of Rahul.
Previously, on Thursday morning, some key players of the Test squad like batters Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, opener Shubman Gill, all-rounders Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja, pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj left for England after assembling in Mumbai
The report further said that there is no plan for calling a replacement of Rahul unless the team management requested for the same. "In that case, Mayank Agarwal would have been named to the squad. The selectors, however, will have to announce a vice-captain for the tour as the chances of Rahul taking part in any of the seven games are virtually ruled out."
Rahul last played international cricket in February this year and was last seen captaining Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022, becoming the second-highest run-getter in the tournament, scoring 616 runs at an average of 51.33 and strike rate of 135.38 in taking the IPL debutants to the playoffs.
Rahul had termed the pitch tricky at the toss itself and was unsure of how it will play. And his team proved how difficult life on that pitch at the MCA Stadium was by slumping to 82 all out.
The pitch was difficult as the ball was gripping and slowing off the surface but there were no demons in it. There were rewards for batters who played cautiously and stayed at the wicket. Gujarat Titans opener Shubman Gill proved that with his fighting unbeaten 63 that helped his team reach 144/4 in 20 overs.
In reply, leg-spinner Rashid Khan claimed 4/24 to lead a clinical bowling performance as Gujarat Titans won by 62 runs.
Rahul blamed his batters for the defeat and said they were guilty of poor shot selection. He said it was a learning experience for his team.
"We should have batted a lot better. Some poor shot selections and a runout didn't help. Some good learning from this for us hopefully. A loss for this is not what a team wants but sometimes you need a little reminder to keep turning up every game and keep doing our best," he said at the post-match presentation on Tuesday.
Rahul said the trick here was for him and fellow-opener Quinton de Kock to take the team through the powerplay overs with something like 30-40 runs on the board.
"With these low totals, you want to make use of the Powerplay. So for me and Quinton, it was about getting the team off to a good start, not necessarily getting off to a 60-run Powerplay, but at least get to 35 or 45 without losing too many wickets would have been ideal and set us up. Because we knew the pitch was going to grip a bit and scoring runs after the Powerplay and hitting boundaries might be difficult so we took a few chances that didn't come off," he added.
Rahul, who complimented his bowlers for their superb performance in restricting Gujarat to a score below 150, said they were aware that batting against the spinners would be difficult in the second innings.
"In the middle, we knew that their spinners will be difficult to score off, but having said that we have to find ways to score runs against good opposition on tricky pitches. That's something that we need to learn and figure out," he said.
He said the task for his team now was to regroup quickly and come back with good energy and intensity in the remaining games in IPL 2022.
"Obviously we're not going to sit back and overanalyze a game like this. What we want is energy and intensity in the field and that was quite good while we were fielding. Batting, you get one chance and you can make a mistake. So you don't want to overanalyze a game like this. You want to learn from it and see how we can do better if we're put in a situation like this again."
Lucknow are currently in the second spot in the points table with 16 points from 12 games. A win in their next two matches will seal their place in the playoffs.
Brilliant knocks by Quinton de Kock and Deepak Hooda followed by sensational performances by Avesh Khan (3/19) and Jason Holder (3/31) helped Lucknow Super Giants to a dominating 75-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the 53rd match of the IPL 2022 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday.
"Still can't think of any game where we've had a complete performance. Still, areas to improve. Don't think any team is going to be perfect anyway, we aren't chasing that. Everyone wants to contribute which is great to see," said Rahul at the post-match presentation.
"Don't know if we're peaking at the right time but we're getting the wins, we're doing what is expected of us, sticking to our plans," he added.
Rahul also mentioned that it was a tricky Pune-wicket but their batters played really well to post a challenging total.
"Played really well, started well with the bat, except for the run-out. Was a tricky wicket. Knew it was going to be slow and sticky. Had to get around 150-160. The way Quinton and Deepak batted, made it look easy. Big-hitting from Stoinis and Jason gave the momentum," he said.
Asked about the superb performance by his bowlers, the LSG skipper said that he couldn't have asked for more, adding that they stuck to their strengths and have been brave with the ball.
"We started superbly with the ball, put the ball in the right areas, couldn't have asked for more. Trust them a great deal (his pace battery). Having skill is one thing, but knowing what to do (and) when is important. They've been put under pressure a couple of times but they've stuck to their strengths and been brave with the ball. That's all we can ask for. Keep trusting what the best ball is on that wicket," he added.
Andre Russell played a quick-fire knock -- smashing 45 off 19 for KKR but Rahul credited his bowlers for executing their plans under pressure.
"Dre Russ going like that is scary at times. We do have some plans before the game, and what's good to see is they remember those plans under pressure. If we go for runs from there then that's acceptable," he said.
With this win, Lucknow Super Giants dethroned Gujarat Titans and took the top spot in the points table. Both Lucknow and Gujarat have registered 8 wins in 11 matches but the K.L. Rahul-led side has a superior run rate (0.703) than Hardik Pandya's team (0.120).
Both Lucknow and Gujarat will now face each other in the 57th match of the IPL 2022 on Tuesday.
With the Special Bench comprising Justices S.A. Bobde and A.M. Sapre deciding to adjourn the case till next week, the duo will not be able to feature in the upcoming limited-overs tour to New Zealand as well. They have already missed out on the three-ODI series against Australia due to their remarks on a television talk show which were widely criticised as crass and sexist.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already sent Vijay Shankar and Shubman Gill to replace the duo.
Senior advocate Parag Tripathi, who was representing the CoA, said the issue is best left to an ombudsman.
"The CoA have decided that they should not make any further comments on this matter until the ombudsman comes up with a decision. There is need for an ombudsman," he told the court.
During Thursday's hearing, when former Additional Solicitor General P.S. Narsimha was suggested as as amicus curiae, replacing senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, the court said the former should be asked whether he is ready to accept the position. Subramanium has expressed his reservations over continuing as amicus curiae.
The status report regarding the acceptance of the newly-drafted BCCI constitution by the various state associations also came up for discussion.
Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing on behalf of several state associations, argued that the CoA has served its function and elections to decide new office bearers to the BCCI should be held.
Ganguly spoke at the trailer launch of the Hindi film "22 Yards", with the cast members Barun Sobti, Geetika Tyagi and Chaiti Ghoshal and director Mitali Ghoshal here on Wednesday.
Pandya and Rahul were slammed over their sexist comments on "Koffee with Karan". Despite an apology to fans and their own teammates, Pandya and Rahul were suspended by the BCCI and ousted from a three-match ODI series against Australia in Sydney.
Asked if modern day cricketers should be responsible while giving statements on a public platform as a whole lot of youngsters look up to them, Ganguly said: "I haven't watched that episode. I watch ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil'. Jokes apart, I feel that you can't generalise that only modern day cricketers should behave responsibly. People make mistakes. Let's not get too far into that.
"I am sure whoever has done it will realise that and come out as a better person. We are all human beings. We are not machines that everything you put in comes out perfect. You have just got to live life and let others live. They are responsible people. They may be role models but they are under pressure all the time to perform. Certain things happen in life and as everyone, we should move on and make sure that it doesn't happen again."
Does he feel modern day cricketers of India aren't responsible in their behaviour as compared to the past generation of cricketers?
Ganguly said: "I feel modern day cricketers are also responsible, disciplined and obedient. In life, certain things happen and you make some mistakes so, let's not get too far into that. Look at Virat Kohli, he is such a fantastic role model. India is a fortunate country. Every generation produces players who all of us cherish."
He said India has produced great cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli over the years.
"There was Sunil Gavaskar and when he retired, people thought who is next, then Sachin Tendulkar came and when Tendulkar retired, people again asked who is next then people saw Virat Kohli. So, we are a very fortunate country in terms of sports and a lot of these cricketers are fantastic human beings because they come from very middle class backgrounds and fight their way up."
Bollywood has made films on the life of sports personalities like Milkha Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and now Kabir Khan is making a film on the Indian cricket team's World Cup victory in 1983.
If a biopic is made on Ganguly's life, then which actor should play his role?
"It is difficult for me to answer that question because I haven't thought about a biopic on my life. People should first make a biopic of other sports personalities and if people have an interest in my biopic, then we will see.
"I really liked the biopic of Milkha Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The film on Sachin Tendulkar was a bit different. Now, I have heard that the film on India's 1983 World Cup win is being made. I feel that was a great time for Indian cricket, so I am looking forward to see that film. As far as my biopic is concerned, we will wait and see as at the moment I haven't thought about it."
Asked if he has been approached by ALTBalaji to make a web series on his life, he said: "Is it Miss Ekta Kapoor's production house? Because I am not aware of production houses and if yes, then I have spoken to her but nothing more than that."
"22 Yards" is releasing on February 22. It is a triumphant tale of two individuals, a cricket agent and a young cricketer, overcoming numerous barriers and winning the toughest battle of life against all odds.
Barun Sobti plays the lead role of Ron Sen, while Panchi Bora will essay Sonali in the film, which will introduce Amartya Ray as Shome Ray. Other main cast members include Rajit Kapur, Rajesh Sharma, Chaiti Ghoshal, Geetika Tyagi and Mrinal Mukherjee.
While Shankar will join the team before the start of the second One Day International (ODI) in Adelaide and will be a part of the squad for the ODI series in Australia and the tour to New Zealand, Gill has been picked only for the ODI and T20I series in New Zealand.
"With K.L. Rahul and Hardik Pandya set to return from Australia, the All-India Senior Selection Committee has decided to send all-rounder Vijay Shankar and batsman Shubman Gill as replacements," a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) statement said late on Saturday.
The BCCI had earlier suspended and sent Rahul and Pandya back home from Australia after their alleged "sexist" comments in a television chat show.
On Saturday, India went down by 34 runs in the first of the three ODIs against Australia.
The second and third ODIs will be played on Tuesday and Friday at Adelaide and Melbourne, respectively.
According to sources, Mayank Agarwal will lead the side in Rahul’s absence, starting with tonight’s match against Delhi Capitals here.
“K L Rahul complained of severe abdomen pain last night and after not responding to medication, he was taken to emergency room for further tests which revealed that he was diagnosed with acute appendicitis,” the team said in a statement.
“It will be resolved surgically and for safety measures, he has been transferred to the hospital for the same,” it added.
Rahul is expected to operated on Sunday night at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. The team expects him to return to action within a week or 10 days.
“Post his surgery, his recovery will be in a bubble so that he remains in a protected environment (amid the COVID-19 pandemic),” said a BCCI source.
Rahul’s absence is a big blow to Punjab Kings, who are trying to get their campaign back on track. The skipper has led from the front, scoring 331 runs at an average of 66.20.
His friend and Karnataka teammate Agarwal will lead the side at least for the next three games.
Agarwal had missed the last game against RCB due to an injury he suffered in the previous match against Kolkata Knight Riders. He has now regained full fitness.
Being an Indian player and an integral part of the playing eleven, the management chose Agarwal to lead the side while Rahul is recovering. The duo forms one of the best opening pairings in the IPL.
Punjab Kings, who have never won the IPL, have three wins from seven games this season.
Speaking to IANS, a senior BCCI executive said that everyone in the board is on the same page and feels that it is time that the issue was put to rest. They feel that the punishment cannot be bigger than the crime and the players have already paid for their mistake.
"Everyone in the board feels that this issue needs to come to an end. The players committed a mistake and there is no two-way about it. But the players were sent home from the tour of Australia, they did apologise for their mistake and are also set to depose before the ombudsman.
"With the World Cup round the corner, the general sentiment is that the matter should be put to an end," the executive said.
Another BCCI functionary said that the ombudsman has been given the matter as priority and Jain will in all likelihood submit his report within a week of meeting the players.
"There is no timeline as such, but everybody understands that substantial match loss has already happened and the punishment cannot be bigger than the crime. The ombudsman will in all likelihood submit his report within a week of meeting the players and getting their side of the story," the functionary said.
In his apology to the BCCI, Pandya had written: "I made an appearance on the chat show where I have made certain statements without realising that these could be disrespectful and offend sensitivities of viewers for which I am sincerely regretful. I would like to assure you that there was no malice or any sort of ill-intent on my part to offend anyone or portray any section of the society in bad light. I made these statements in the flow of the show and had not comprehended the extent to which my statements would be found offensive."
Rahul on his part wrote: "At the outset, I extend my unconditional heartfelt apology for this extremely unfortunate incident. I'm extremely ashamed and embarrassed since this has caused such disgrace and embarrassment to both, the BCCI and sport of cricket. I assure you that, I shall, in the future, act more responsibly and shall ensure that my actions befit my stature as cricketer and a public personality representing India and the BCCI, across the globe."
The two players will meet Jain around the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) match in the ongoing IPL at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10.
(Story By: Baidurjo Bhose)
In a report, accessed by IANS, the ombudsman has also said that if both the players fail to do so within four weeks from the date of the receipt of the order, the Board of Control for Cricket in India might deduct the said amount from the match fees payable to the players.
The ombudsman noted that the players had already missed out on earning of about Rs 30 lakh as they had been sent back from the tour of Australia. But he also noted that cricketers in the country are role models and their act should be befitting the status they have acquired.
But he also noted that since both the players apologised and did not contest the action initiated against them, it is unnecessary to return a categorical finding as to whether the remarks made during the course of the chat show constitutes as an act of indiscipline or misconduct or violation of any of Rules and Regulations on part of players as contemplated under Rule 41 (1) (c) of the rules.
Clearly, the matter ends with this and the two cricketers can now look forward to representing the country with aplomb in the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales as the national selectors have picked the duo in the 15-member squad.
Keeping aside those two knocks and the quickfire 46-ball 47 from skipper Virat Kohli, it was again a case of conditions making the batsmen sweat. While ODI deputy Rohit Sharma managed 19, opening partner Shikhar Dhawan scored just 1. The much spoken about Vijay Shankar also managed just 2 as the Indian scoreboard read a scary 102/4 at one stage. But the 164-run partnership between Rahul (108) and Dhoni ensured that another embarrassing collapse was avoided.
Even though Rahul scored a century, it wasn't before he played and missed quite a few. In fact, while the Indian team management decided to stick with Rahul at the much-debated no.4 slot, it would have been interesting to see whether a bowling attack with better penetration would have let Rahul fly away to a century after a start that saw him woefully short on confidence.
The sun peeping through the clouds and Dhoni's acumen also helped as the former Indian skipper looked to ease pressure off Rahul by taking the attack to the Bangladesh spinners. In fact, it almost looked like the Dhoni of old as he used the depth of the crease to perfection against the Bangaldesh spinners.
But then, these warm-up matches are to fine-tune the areas that need attention. And going by the form of the Indian batsmen in the top half, there is plenty to worry for skipper Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri.
Dhawan was the first to go as he was trapped plumb in front after he planted his foot across the line of the ball from Mustafizur Rahman. His worry with the one that leaves the left-hander was clearly behind his undoing in this case.
In case of Rohit, it has to be more of disappointment and frustration at the way he chopped one onto his stumps due to his inability to read the slowness of the ball. Trying a pull off the front foot, he looked to have played the shot a tad bit early.
Kohli's dismissal was against the run of play and it doesn't and it was a case of over attacking. While it is no justification, but then, Kohli's form is definitely not a worry when it comes to adapting to English conditions. But Shankar's typical dismissal behind the wicket off pacer Rubel Hossain will definitely be a cause for concern. Trying to play at one too close to leave, all Shankar managed was an edge to the keeper.
But every dark cloud has a silver lining and on Tuesday, it was Dhoni putting up a brilliant show of batsmanship as he first guided Rahul and then went into a zone as he sent the Bangladesh bowlers on a leather hunt in the death overs. It was only poetic justice that he brought up his 100 with a six in the 49th over of the innings as skipper Kohli cheered on from the dressing room with teammates for company.
On Tuesday, Rahul scored 108 runs, which included 12 fours and 4 sixes during the course of his 99-ball inning, as India defeated Bangladesh by 95 runs at the Sophia Gardens.
Although, BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad had nominated Vijay Shankar for the much-debated no. 4 spot, Kohli hinted that Rahul could take that position during the course of the showpiece event.
"The biggest positive to come out of this game was the way KL batted at four," ESPNcricinfo quoted Kohli as saying after the match. "All the other people know their role pretty well, so it was important that KL gets runs because he is such a sound player. He can get the scoreboard ticking and you saw that -- a great example of the skill-set that he has."
Asked if he was ready to bat at the number four spot, Rahul, while being diplomatic, said he was flexible with any role the team gave him.
"It is a team game and you need to be flexible and be ready to bat wherever, or as a player you need to be ready to take up whatever role is given to you," the 27-year-old batter said.
"Every batsman who has played at this level knows how to handle pressure and knows how to handle the roles and responsibilities given to him," he added.
If Australia lose to South Africa later in the day, Virat Kohli & Co will top the points tally and take on New Zealand the first semifinal in Manchester on Tuesday.
Cut to the present, it was all about Rohit 'silken' Sharma at Headingley as he hit the drives, flicks, cuts and pulls with equal elan to register his fifth hundred of the ongoing World Cup -- the most by any batsman in a single edition -- bettering the record set by former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara in the 2015 World Cup.
Rohit now has six hundreds in the showpiece event and is sitting atop the list of most hundreds in World Cups with Sachin Tendulkar. The master blaster also has six World Cup hundreds.
Back to the chase, it was important to start well as India were chasing 265 for victory. And it couldn't have been better as both Rohit and K.L. Rahul looked in terrific flow from the word go.
By the time Kasun Rajitha dismissed Rohit in the 31st over, the game was already in the bag for India. It was only poetic justice that Rahul too scored his maiden World Cup century after playing perfect second fiddle to Rohit. But a quality short ball from Lasith Malinga saw Rahul (111) getting dismissed in the 41st over.
Rishabh Pant was the only Indian batsman who failed to shine as he was caught plumb in front by Isuru Udana in the 42nd over. In the end, skipper Kohli guided India home in the 44th over with an unbeaten 34, with Hardik Pandya giving him company on 7.
Earlier, placed precariously at 55/4 in the 12th over at the Headingley Cricket Ground, Sri Lanka finally saw their most experienced batsman rise to the challenge as Angelo Mathews hit a slow yet steady 113 off 128 balls (4x10, 6x2) to take the island nation to 264/7 in their 50 overs.
A 124-run partnership with Lahiru Thirimanne (53; 68 balls, 4x4) went a long way in bringing the Lankans back into their final World Cup game.
Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka got off to a terrible start as Jasprit Bumrah sent back Dimuth Karunaratne for just 10 in the fourth over, caught by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The out of form Kusal Perera flattered to deceive once again as he hit a 14-ball 18 before being packed back to the hut by Bumrah, once again caught by Dhoni. This after he was given a life as Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya had a bad mix-up looking to take the top-edge off his bat as Bhuvneshwar Kumar wore a sorry look walking back to his bowling mark.
Kusal Mendis was the next to go, reminding the fans of the typical dismissal before Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal became India's leading spinners -- stumped Dhoni, bowled Ravindra Jadeja. The dismissal saw the Indian fans erupt with joy as Jadeja was playing his first game of the ongoing World Cup.
The otherwise in-form Avishka Fernando also flattered to deceive as Pandya had him caught by Dhoni for a 21-ball 20. With the score on 55/4 and Lanka in trouble, Thirimanne joined Mathews and the two ensured that they focused on stitching a partnership even if that meant the run-rate crawling at the pace of a snail. With almost half the batting back in the hut, they didn't really have an option.
The duo kept looking for singles even as a plan carrying the slogan "Justice for Kashmir" distracted all in the media box. The episode wasn't the first and last time that a private jet flew over the stadium with a political message as another plane followed a while later with the slogan "INDIA STOP GENOCIDE & FREE KASHMIR".
On June 29 during the match between Pakistan and Afghanistan, a plane with a banner reading "Justice for Balochistan" flew over the same stadium.
In the middle though, it was focus personified as both teams looked to gain the upper-hand. While India knew they needed one wicket to get the ball rolling again, the duo of Mathews and Thirimanne knew that batting deep was the key. Mathews was handed a life in the 37th over when Bhuvneshwar dropped him off Jadeja. He was batting on 61 then.
But the Indians finally struck in the 38th over as Kuldeep dismissed Thirimanne, caught by Jadeja, with the scoreboard reading 179/5. Mathews was finally dismissed in the 49th over by Bumrah as Lanka managed to score 64 runs in the last 10 overs. It was a respectable finish considering that the likes of Aravinda de Silva and the recently banned (by ICC) Sanath Jayasuriya were watching the game from the stands.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka: 264/7 in 50 overs (Angelo Mathews 113, Lahiru Thirimanne 53; Jasprit Bumrah 3/37) vs India: 265/3 in 43.3 overs (K.L. Rahul 111, Rohit Sharma 103)
By Baidurjo Bhose
It could be toss up between Hanuma Vihari and Rohit Sharma as to who comes to bat at No 6 after vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane who is expected to bat at No 5. With Prithvi Shaw suspended, India are likely to open with K.L. Rahul and Mayank Agarwal with Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli coming in at No 3 and No 4 respectively.
"Vihari has done well. It all depends on combination. Rohit's quality we all know and he has done well. It's about who provides the best balance," Kohli said at the pre-match press conference here.
"Happy that guys are grabbing opportunities. As long as this healthy competition is there, great for Indian cricket.
"We have a problem of plenty and that's a great position to be in," Kohli added.
There will also be a selection call to make as to who will stand behind the stumps with Wriddhiman Saha now back in the fray and Rishabh Pant also there. It remains to be seen whether India play an extra bowler and leave out a batsman as all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been rested.
"We are still thinking about the combination, we could not have a look at the wicket as it was covered. It's more or less a choice between three quicks and a spinner or two quicks and two spinners," Kohli said.
"Last time England played here, the wicket had quite a lot of variable bounce so..we will be flexible about the combination."
India tinkered with their opening combination the last time they played five-day cricket. Asked about more pressure falling on the middle order, Kohli said: "We are senior players and want to take bulk of the load. Along with Ajinkya, we want to take load off the other players and control the middle order. The opening combination, as you see we have two openers in the squad (Rahul, Agarwal) so the idea is to give them four innings to go out and express themselves."
India played in Australia last in January, winning the four-match series 2-1, which was their first ever Test series Down Under.
Kohli also reiterated his backing for World Test Championship, saying it would make every series more competitive.
"When you have points to play for, every match becomes more important. As I said, it's going to bring in more competition. The test championship is going to take the standard of Test cricket higher."
Kohli, who hit his maiden double hundred at this ground in 2016, added that he loves coming back here. "I love coming to this place, it is relaxing. It is also special in terms of getting my first double hundred here," he said.
In this series, India, the No 1 ranked Test team, will look to reinforce their position at the top of the standings and will bank on their experience to outclass the West Indies who will be low on confidence following the thrashing they received in the T20 and ODI series.
Rahul and Pujara were out for 13 and 6 respectively after India were put into bat on a Sabina Park pitch which had some grass on it.
Captain Virat Kohli and the other opener Mayank Agarwal were batting at 41 off 99 balls and 5 off 30 deliveries respectively at the lunch break. India faced 30 overs in the session.
After West Indies captain Jason Holder opted to field, Rahul and Agarwal negotiated the first half an hour without taking any risk on a tricky pitch.
Opening bowlers Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel, however, could not get much movement from the pitch.
Holder introduced himself in the seventh over and immediately got the breakthrough by having the wicket of Rahul to break the 32-run opening stand.
It was a peach of a delivery which jagged away from middle stump with Rahul edging it to Rakheem Cornwall at first slip for a comfortable catch. Rahul hit two fours in his 26-ball innings.
Holder was getting the bounce and movement and debutant Cornwall made the Indians toil for runs with his tight off-spin bowling.
India were 36 for 1 in 13 overs at the drinks break.
Pujara, who came after Rahul's departure in the seventh over, struggled again as he took 15 deliveries to open his account and was finally out for 6 which came from 25 balls.
The bounce extracted by 26-year-old off-spinner Cornwall, who stands at 6ft and 5 inches and weights more than 140kg, did brought Pujara's downfall as he hit straight to the hands of Shamarh Brooks.
India were 46 for 2 in the 17th over at the fall of Pujara but Kohli and Agarwal ensured that the visiting side do not lose any further wicket. The duo added 26 runs in 13.1 overs for the unbroken third wicket.
Agarwal has so far hit five fours from the 99 balls, while Kohli's 5 came from 30 deliveries.
Pacers Deepak Chahar (6/7 in 3.2 overs), who registered the best figures in a T20 match on Sunday besides becoming the first Indian to take a hat-trick in the shortest format, and Shivam Dube (3/30) shared nine wickets amongst themselves to secure India's first T20 series win at home this season.
Heavy late evening dew rendered the spinners ineffective but Chahar and Dube rose to the occasion.
Iyer (62 off 33) and Rahul (52 off 35) had earlier smashed sublime half-centuries to propel India to 174 for five after Bangladesh opted to field. Chasing the target, the visitors were all out for 144 in 19.2 overs.
With 50 needing off the last 30 balls and six wickets in hand, Bangladesh had a great opportunity to win the series but they crumbled under pressure.
Rookier opener Mohammad Naim (81 of 48) played a blinder to take Bangladesh deep into the game before they lost five wickets for 20 runs to blow it all away.
Chasing a challenging 175, Bangladesh suffered early setbacks as Chahar had opener Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar caught off successive balls to leave the visitors at 12 for two.
Naim, playing his debut series, and Mohammad Mithun (27) shared a 98-run stand for the third wicket to bring their team back into the contest.
Left-hander Naim played some exquisite strokes especially against the spinners and welcomed Yuzvendra Chahal into the attack with three consecutive fours.
Earlier, a maiden half-century for Iyer and the sixth one for Rahul helped India put up a competitive total. Iyer's cracking knock came after he was dropped on 0.
Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah followed the template set in the series by winning the toss and opting to field.
India made an unexpected call by dropping a bowler in Krunal Pandya for middle-order batsman Manish Pandey.
The hosts were dealt a body blow in the second over when pacer Shafiul Islam removed their skipper Rohit Sharma, who had made a sublime 85 in the series-levelling win in Rajkot. Rohit tried to whip a length ball but only managed an inside edge on to the stumps.
Rahul joined Shikhar Dhawan (19 off 16)in the middle and with both the batsmen under pressure having not made an impact the first two games, the situation provided them an ideal platform to deliver.
Dhawan, who has found it tough to accelerate of late, got going with successive boundaries off Al-Amin Hussain. Rahul too began his innings in a similar fashion, going for the aerial straight drive before punching Islam through point.
However, Dhawan could not last long after hitting four boundaries, mistiming a slog to be caught in the deep by Mahmudullah.
India once again could not get to a good start batting first, struggling to 41 for two in six overs. It would have been three down at that stage if Aminul Islam had not dropped a regulation catch off incoming batsman Iyer at backward point.
Rahul and Iyer gave a much needed boost to the Indian innings with a 59-run stand.
Rahul in full flow is always a treat to the eye and that is what the Nagpur crowd witnessed. He completed his fifty off 33 balls before getting caught at mid-off two balls later, leaving India at 94 for three in the 13th over.
Iyer, who made a sedate start to his innings, went ballistic after Rahul's departure. He was especially brutal against the spinners and hit three sixes over long-on off Afif Hossain.
Iyer, who raced to his 50 off 27 balls, ended up hammering five sixes and three boundaries.
Rishabh Pant (6), who has copped a lot of criticism of late both for his batting and wicket-keeping, disappointed once again when the team needed him to provide the big hits. He struggled in his nine-ball stay and was eventually bowled after being deceived by a slower one from medium pacer Soumya Sarkar.
Pandey (22 not out off 13), playing his first game of the series, came up with welcome boundaries in the death overs to take the total beyond 170.
Rahul, the highest-ranked India batsman, has gained 26 points is now on 760 rating points, just six behind Australia's Glenn Maxwell after scores of 45 and 54 in his two innings against Sri Lanka.
Kohli, top-ranked in Tests and ODIs, is in ninth position while Dhawan, who scored 32 and 52 in the two games, is at the 15th spot. Manish Pandey has advanced four places and is ranked 70th. The list is topped by Pakistan's Babar Azam.
India's fast bowlers have also made notable gains in the first T20I update of the year.
Player of the Series Navdeep Saini has rocketed 146 places to 98th while Shardul Thakur has re-entered in 92nd position after both finished with five wickets in the series. Jasprit Bumrah has gained eight places to reach 39th position in the list topped by Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan.
In the team rankings, India have gained two points but remain in fifth position with 260 points, while Sri Lanka have lost two points and now have 236, the same as Afghanistan.
India will now be taking part in the three-match ODI series against Australia before playing five T20Is in New Zealand.
(IANS)
As per the ICC release, Rahul's series topping aggregate of 224 runs has lifted him four places to a career best-equaling second place while Rohit Sharma (up three places to 10th), Shreyas Iyer (up 63 places to 55th) and Manish Pandey (up 12 places to 58th) are others advancing in the latest rankings update that also includes the Pakistan-Bangladesh series.
There are now three Indians in the top 10 batsmen, as captain Virat Kohli has retained his ninth position with 105 runs from four matches.
The story is similar for the India bowling attack as Jasprit Bumrah has gained 26 places to reach 11th position, Yuzvendra Chahal has advanced 10 places to 30th and Shardul Thakur's eight wickets in the series have lifted him 34 places to 57th position. Navdeep Saini (up 25 places to 71st) and Ravindra Jadeja (up 34 places to 76th) have also moved up.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson's 160 runs in the series has taken him from 23rd to 16th position while Tim Seifert (73rd to 34th) and Ross Taylor (50th to 39th) have also made notable gains in the batsmen's list. Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi has advanced six places to 13th among bowlers.
For Pakistan, experienced players Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez have advanced to 45th and 71th positions, respectively, after slamming a half-century each in the three-match series. Babar Azam, the third Pakistan batsman to score a half-century in the series, has retained the top position as well as his aggregate of 879 points.
Left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has moved up from 72nd to 39th position with two wickets in the series, which the home side won 2-0, with one match abandoned, to retain the top rank in the ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings.
Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal, who top-scored in the series with an aggregate of 104 runs, has gained 11 slots to reach 50th position. Al Amin-Hossain is at 51st position among bowlers after gaining 25 places.
(IANS)