KL Rahul Gives Award Smartphone to Stadium Staff Member

KL Rahul gave the smartphone he received as the Game Changer of the Match award to a female stadium staff member after India’s rain-affected second one-day international against New Zealand in Wellington. The Board of Control for Cricket in India shared a video in which the recipient described the gift and said she had not expected it.

The staff member said Rahul handed her the phone he had won. She expressed surprise and said the gesture was kind. The BCCI also praised Rahul in a post on X. The accounts of the gift largely rely on that video and the recipient’s remarks.

India won the match by four runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Rain stopped play as India were 113 for 7 in reply to New Zealand’s 134. India were four runs ahead of the DLS par score, and the result was awarded on that basis.

Rahul, named Game Changer of the Match, was unbeaten on 26 when play stopped, according to match reports. He helped steady India’s innings after early wickets, while Shreyas Iyer scored 30. India had been chasing a target of 135.

New Zealand were bowled out in 41 overs. Daryl Mitchell top-scored with 55, while Gurnoor Brar took four...