Shikhar Dhawan Hilariously Thanks Keshav Maharaj For India's Win Over South Africa During Post Match Presentation

India defeated South Africa by seven wickets in the second ODI to level the series 1-1. While many experts opined that winning the toss and batting first was the way to go, Indian captain, Shikhar Dhawan felt otherwise. Kesh Maharaj, South Africa's stand-in captain, also chose to bat first after he won the toss.

The target of 278 was never a daunting one for Team India, but South Africa saw a glimmer of hope when both Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill departed inside the powerplay. A match-winning partnership between Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, however, turned the game around for India, as the chase was completed with 4.1 overs to spare.

After the game, Dhawan hilariously credited South Africa's stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj for the victory, leaving former India cricketer and presenter Murali Kartik speechless. After the game, Kartik, the presenter for the post-match ceremony, said, "Shikhar, you wanted to do something different and it worked perfectly well for you at toss."

To which, Dhawan responded hilariously. "Worked perfectly well for us, thanks to Keshav that he chose to bat. Glad that dew came in at the right time," he said. The broadcaster couldn't stop himself from laughing.

Ishan and Shreyas batted so well: Shikhar Dhawan after the game

Dhawan, on the other hand, praised Iyer and Ishan for their efforts. While the left-hander fell seven runs short of his first ODI century, Iyer scored the second of his career. He was unbeaten on 113 and was awarded the Man of the Match.

"Ishan and Shreyas batted so well, that partnership was so nice to watch. It was coming on nicely, but it stayed low. Plan was to take on the bowlers in the first 10 overs as we knew it could get difficult in the middle overs. When the dew came, you could see that it got easier," Dhawan said.

In the meantime, The three-match series is currently tied 1-1, with the final ODI scheduled for October 12 in New Delhi.