Eoin Morgan's match-winning 66 vs Pakistan boosts KKR ahead of IPL 2020; watch video

England emerged victorious in the second T20I of the three-match series by five wickets at the Old Trafford in Manchester to take an impregnable 1-0 lead in the series. The chief architect of the win was England skipper Eoin Morgan, who struck a brilliant 33-ball 66 with six fours and four sixes to see his side home. Dawid Malan also scored a brilliant fifty, which helped the hosts chase down a record target.

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England vs Pakistan 2020: Kolkata Knight Riders star Eoin Morgan stars as England register emphatic win

Chasing an enormous target of 195, England got off to a flyer as their openers Tom Banton and Jonny Bairstow took the hosts' total to 65/0 at the end of the powerplay. However, in the seventh over, Shadab Khan claimed wickets of both the openers in successive deliveries to push the hosts on the backfoot. The responsibility of bringing back the English innings on track lied on the shoulders of Eoin Morgan and Dawid Malan.

The Kolkata Knight Riders star was the aggressor in the partnership as he attacked the Pakistani bowlers while Malan played the second fiddle as he kept the scoreboard ticking. The two stitched a massive 112-run partnership and brought England close to victory before Eoin Morgan was caught at deep square leg off Haris Rauf. However, Eoin Morgan had ensured that the hosts were in a commanding position before being dismissed. Eventually, England went on to chase the target with five balls to spare.

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Earlier in the day, Pakistan scored a massive total of 195, riding on the back of Mohammad Hafeez's 69 off 36 and Babar Azam's fifty. The focus now shifts to the third T20I in Manchester where both teams have everything to play for. While England will look to secure the series 2-0, Pakistan will play to draw the series 1-1.

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Eoin Morgan, being among the runs, would benefit the Kolkata Knight Riders immensely as the southpaw is set to play for them in the upcoming IPL 2020 in the UAE from September 19. This will be Eoin Morgan's second stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders after having played for them in 2011-13. Eoin Morgan is a key member of the KKR squad for the IPL 2020 and his performances will be crucial in determining how far the Kolkata-based franchise go in the tournament.

KKR squad for the IPL 2020

Dinesh Karthik (Captain and wicketkeeper), Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Eoin Morgan,  Andre Russell, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Tom Banton, Rahul Tripathi, Rinku Singh, Harry Gurney, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Siddhesh Lad, Nikhil Naik, M Siddharth, Varun Chakravarti, Chris Green.

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Here are the highlights of Eoin Morgan's sensational knock 

IMAGE COURTESY: ECB TWITTER