Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has applauded Rachin Ravindra for proving his T20 skills in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) IPL 2024 win against the Gujarat Titans (GT). However, Ravindra smashed a 20-ball 46 as CSK set GT a huge 207-run target at Chepauk in Chennai on Tuesday, March 26. CSK then restricted GT to 143/8 to register a comfortable 63-run win and move atop the points table as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “Ruturaj Gaikwad got a life at the start but Rachin Ravindra – Rach-in, ball out. How well is he batting. I will be very honest, people felt that he plays well, including myself, I will put my hand up, but I had said that he doesn’t have great numbers in T20s.”

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“I felt he is a good ODI player, might also play well in Tests, but he hadn’t scored too many runs in T20s and hadn’t played too many matches either, so he might not be that useful. They had kept him as a backup player, that Rachin can be given chances if Devon Conway isn’t there, but now he is destroying differently,” Chopra further added.

Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra also said that the CSK opener is bringing his destructive game. Ravindra also added 62 runs for the first wicket with Ruturaj Gaikwad (46 off 36) in just 5.2 overs as well.

“The thing I liked a lot about him was all the fours and sixes he hit. He hit sixes if the ball was on his legs, straight fours off full balls, shots in the air through cover when there was a gap, and then played shots while using his feet and against balls away from him as well. He was absolutely stellar. The range he has shown, it’s just his first season and just his second match, and he has batted well in both games. He didn’t score a fifty, I do get that, but Rachin Ravindra is batting extremely well. He just set the tone for the Chennai Super Kings,” Aakash Chopra concluded.