Aakash Chopra, a renowned cricket analyst, challenges the notion of SunRisers Hyderabad’s explosive prowess in IPL 2024, following KKR’s formidable batting showcase against LSG. Akash Chopra’s remarks underscore the evolving dynamics of the tournament’s favorites and underdogs.
Aakash Chopra was a decent opening batsman for India in the early 2000s, playing 10 Tests with a modest average. He shone more in domestic cricket, representing Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Post-retirement, Chopra transitioned into a highly regarded Hindi cricket commentator, currently for Viacom 18 and a popular YouTuber analyzing cricket matches.
Kolkata Knight Riders put on a masterclass against Lucknow Super Giants in their recent IPL 2024 clash (Match 54), securing a resounding 98-run victory. Their dominance was evident on both sides of the pitch. KKR’s batting lineup flourished, setting a daunting target of 235 runs for LSG. Narine unleashed his fury, scoring a blazing 81 runs off just 38 balls. His innings, studded with seven sixes and four boundaries, provided a solid platform and set the tone for a big score.
While Narine stole the show, valuable contributions from other batsmen like Phil Salt and Shreyas Iyer ensured a well-rounded batting performance from KKR. The bowling attack perfectly complemented the batsmen’s efforts. They restricted LSG to a paltry 137 runs, effectively shutting the door on any hopes of a chase.
The bowling attack showcased a delightful blend of pace and spin, with bowlers like Varun Chakravarthy and Andre Russell taking crucial wickets at key moments to stifle LSG’s batting order. This victory propelled KKR to the top of the IPL points table.
Aakash Chopra’s take on KKR’s batting line up
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra reviewed the match, highlighting KKR’s emphatic victory over LSG. He asserted that Shreyas Iyer and his team are the most formidable and destructive force in IPL 2024.
He said:
“They went to Lucknow’s gully and treated them like you do in gully cricket. The definition of a one-sided encounter was explained and Lucknow were handed the biggest defeat of their two-and-a-half-year career. Who was saying SunRisers Hyderabad is the most explosive team of this year’s tournament? It’s KKR.”
“They have gone beyond 200 six times and when you score 235 runs, it means the match is totally in your grasp because it wouldn’t matter even if a little dew came as you had (Sunil) Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora and Andre Russell. They are a perfect team,” the former India opener added.
Aakash Chopra On Sunil Narine’s Consistency
Analyzing Kolkata Knight Riders’ batting performance in Sunday’s match, Aakash Chopra highlighted Sunil Narine’s continued consistency.
“They (LSG) won the toss and decided to bowl. They expected dew to come later but Narine came before that. He is playing differently. This year Narine is feeling bad when he gets out which wasn’t the case earlier. Earlier he used to keep hitting and wasn’t bothered if he got out,” he said.
The former cricketer turned commentator suggests that the all-rounder deserves to be named the Most Valuable Player of the season already.
“He now has expectations from himself that he can consistently score runs – that maybe he can have the Orange Cap. He is close in both the Orange and Purple Cap lists. Give him the Player of the Tournament already. Make him the MVP because he is batting like that,” Chopra further explained.
Aakash Chopra also credited other KKR batsmen for their contribution to the huge total as he said,
“Phil Salt was hitting more at the start and once he got out, Angkrish Raghuvanshi played for some time. He was sent at No. 3 and after that came Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Ramandeep Singh, and then in the end Venkatesh Iyer came for one or two balls. You need small-small knocks once you have got an explosive start,”
In addition to Narine, both Phil Salt and Angkrish Raghuvanshi also surpassed the 30-run milestone for KKR, scoring 32 each. Ramandeep Singh’s unbeaten 25 off six balls provided the crucial final push to the visitors’ total.