Aakash Chopra has applauded Prabhsimran Singh for overshadowing Shikhar Dhawan during their opening partnership in the Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) win against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their last match. Prabhsimran scored 60 runs off just 34 balls as PBKS set a 198-run target for RR in Guwahati on Wednesday, April 5. Their bowlers then successfully restricted Sanju Samson and Co. to 192/7 to register a narrow five-run win as well.
While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said: “Rajasthan Royals opted to bowl after winning the toss. When they came to bowl – Prabhsimran, how well he hit. He has been fantastic both times he has batted. Last time he scored all 23 runs before he got out and here also it seemed Shikhar Dhawan was playing the hero’s brother’s role.”
The former Indian opener further added: “He (Dhawan) was going at a run-a-ball and the other boy was actually flying. Shikhar Dhawan changed gears as soon as Prabhsimran left. No one was taking the name of stopping, whether it was Jitesh Sharma or Shahrukh Khan. They kept going and reached 197 overall, which I felt was less.”
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However, Shikhar Dhawan top-scored with an unbeaten 86 off 56 balls. He scored his first 30 runs off as many deliveries before smashing 56 off the next 26 balls he faced. While speaking about the Punjab Kings’ bowling, Aakash Chopra named Nathan Ellis’ spell as a game-changing performance.
He added: “The Player of the Match in my opinion was Nathan Ellis. The ball was like a wet bar of soap, where everyone got hit a lot on a high-scoring ground and the bowlers were struggling. There this bowler came and picked up four wickets, which included Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and Devdutt Padikkal’s wickets.”
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“I would say well done Nathan Ellis. He has done so well that when Kagiso Rabada becomes available, you will feel whether you should play him or not because this guy is doing so well and you cannot leave out any overseas batter in any case. So what should you do? That’s their problem, not yours or mine,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
