Aakash Chopra, renowned cricket commentator, has raised eyebrows with his recent analysis of Yuzvendra Chahal’s performance in Rajasthan Royals’ IPL 2024 loss to Delhi Capitals. This critique from Aakash Chopra, known for his insightful commentary, sheds light on the struggles faced by Yuzvendra Chahal and prompts discussions about the spinner’s form in the ongoing tournament.
Akash Chopra’s journey in cricket began on the field, representing India in 10 Test matches. Though his batting average didn’t quite soar to great heights, with a highest score of 60, he found a different kind of fame after retirement. Akash Chopra transitioned seamlessly into the world of commentary, captivating audiences with his engaging style. His commentary, often laced with wit and clever rhymes, has become a signature element, particularly in Hindi broadcasts. Currently, he entertains fans with his insightful analysis on the Viacom18 network. He also posts analyses of matches and performances on his YouTube channel.
Yuzvendra Chahal’s IPL 2024 performance has been a two-sided story. He remains a wicket-taking threat, currently sitting among the season’s top 10 with 13 scalps in 10 matches. In the recent clash against Delhi Capitals, he even managed to grab 2 key wickets, including the in-form Rishabh Pant. However, his bowling hasn’t been as economical as usual. Chahal’s current economy rate sits around 8.5 runs per over, which is noticeably higher than his career IPL average of 7.5. While he’s still contributing with wickets, tightening his bowling and bringing that economy rate down could be crucial for Rajasthan Royals’ success.
What Aakash Chopra Said about Yuzvendra Chahal
In recent IPL matches, cricket analyst Aakash Chopra has observed that Yuzvendra Chahal’s bowling for Rajasthan Royals (RR) has been costly. In the match against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Tuesday, May 7th, Chahal conceded 48 runs while taking one wicket in his four overs.
Despite DC setting a challenging target of 222 runs, RR could only manage 201/8 in their innings, resulting in a 20-run loss. Chopra, in a YouTube video, highlighted the differing performances of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, emphasizing their contrasting bowling spells.
“Ravichandran Ashwin was absolutely outstanding. He conceded 24 runs in his four overs and picked up three wickets – wow Ravichandran Ashwin. All the other bowlers were expensive. Chahal conceded 48 runs in his four overs. What has happened to Chahal? Why is he proving so expensive these days?” he said.
The ex-Indian opener noticed that all the seam bowlers from RR faced a similar fate to Yuzvendra Chahal, being heavily punished by the opposition batsmen as he added,
“In the last match and this match as well, he has been very expensive. Avesh Khan conceded 42 runs in his two overs. Sandeep Sharma conceded 42 runs in his four overs and Trent Boult conceded 48 runs in his four overs. So the nuts and bolts were loosened,”
Yuzvendra Chahal’s performance in the recent IPL 2024 matches has been lacklustre, with only three wickets taken in his last five games. Throughout these matches, he has consistently conceded over 40 runs, with his previous game against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) being particularly tough. In that match, he remained wicketless while giving away a hefty 62 runs.
Aakash Chopra On Jake Fraser-McGurk
Discussing the Delhi Capitals’ batting performance, Aakash Chopra praised Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abishek Porel(65 off 36), especially highlighting their explosive start to the innings.
He added,
“When Team Delhi were invited to bat first, Jake Fraser-McGurk was hit by a ball but after that, he started destroying the bowlers. A 20-ball 50, what are you doing? You are hitting differently. Abishek Porel was his opening partner and he also scored 65 runs,”
Cricketer-turned-commentator Chopra didn’t fail to acknowledge the finisher Tristan Stubbs (41 off 20) for his innings for DC as he continued,
“So both openers played very well but then the innings stumbled in the middle. However, a pushback came in the form of Tristan Stubbs. In the end, a few weaknesses were visible. They leaked a lot of runs. Gulbadin Naib hit a little and Rasikh Salam came and played two shots behind the wickets,”
At the same time Chopra was critical of the way the DC captain was dismissed, he added,
“I am not liking at all the style in which Rishabh Pant is getting out. He got out to a bad shot in the last match against KKR as well. Here also it wasn’t a very good shot, tried to hit while falling and was caught in the deep. I see it as a slight area of concern. You want him to be in red-hot form when the World Cup arrives,”
Pant secured 15 off 13 balls before giving his wicket to Trent Boult at deep square leg on Chahal’s spell.