Former India opener turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has picked Yuzvendra Chahal and Jos Buttler as the star players for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in last night’s (April 18) win over the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Buttler smashed 103 runs off 61 deliveries before Chahal registered his career-best IPL figures of 5/40 and sealed the deal.
While reflecting on the Rajasthan Royals’ performance in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said: “I have seen it for the first time in my life that in one over you are on a hat-trick, not once but twice, and then take a hat-trick as well. And that happens when you have conceded 17 runs in your first over. Four wickets in an over, which also includes Shreyas Iyer’s wicket.”
Chahal removed Nitish Rana with the last ball of the 13th over. He then removed Venkatesh Iyer’s wicket with his very first ball in the 17th over. Although Sheldon Jackson didn’t let him claim a hat-trick on the next ball, the he achieved the milestone by removing Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Mavi and Pat Cummins off the last three balls of the same over.
READ HERE: Gary Kirsten all set to work with Hardik Pandya
Aakash Chopra added: “Jos said whether it is Mumbai or Kolkata, it does not matter to him. He scored a century against Mumbai and now against Kolkata as well. He has been absolutely sensational. He is the world’s most dangerous white-ball batter. He plays in a different fashion. He is 24*7 and 360 degrees, he is just unbelievable. It seemed he was giving himself a little time at the start. But when he started hitting, Devdutt Padikkal said that he will only take singles. He took singles and went to the other end and Jos hits fours and sixes. Devdutt Padikkal felt like how I used to feel with Viru (Virender Sehwag). This was absolutely incredible.”
Aakash Chopra has also highlighted that the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) poor bowling has cost them the game. KKR’s bowlers allowed Rajasthan to post a huge total of 217/5 on the board and they eventually lost by 7 runs as well.
READ HERE: India will struggle if Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma don’t score, says Mohammad Hafeez
He added, “Jos (Buttler) scored a century and once again exposed your one weakness. If you see the entire bowling lineup, Umesh Yadav still did well in the initial few matches, Sunil Narine is the only constant. Everybody else is getting hammered. Pat Cummins is reading the table of 50. It seems Pat Cummins’ day is not complete unless he gets hit for 10-12 runs per over, he is getting hit so much. Varun Chakravarthy is not even able to complete his overs. Shivam Mavi – his last over was still okay but he has been in and out. You played Shivam Mavi in the initial matches and then you dropped him. Then you play Aman Khan one match and then you drop him and get Shivam Mavi back.”
“You are getting Andre Russell to bowl but he also gets hit in the end. This bowling unit was expected to be a very maverick kind of bowling unit but it is looking a little pale at the moment because Varun Chakravarthy does not have the form or confidence, Pat Cummins has been very very expensive and who else, this is your bowling attack,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
