IPL 2023
Aakash Chopra opines on Ravindra Jadeja’s role in CSK’s IPL 2023 win
By SMCS - May 31, 2023 2:17 pm
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Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra said thatRavindra Jadeja’s ‘breakthrough season’ as a bowler played a key role in the Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) fifth title win in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023). CSK beat Gujarat Titans by five wickets via the DLS method in the summit-clash in Ahmedabad on Monday, May 29. Jadeja, who hit the winning boundary off the last ball in the final, claimed 20 wickets in the tournament at a decent economy of 7.56 as well.

Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja took CSK over the line

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said: “Jaddu’s magic. A breakthrough season as a bowler, not as a batter. You wouldn’t have seen such effective bowling from Jaddu in the last four-five years in the IPL. You would have seen Jaddu doing very well otherwise, but in the IPL we used to talk about his middling performances but this was Jaddu’s year.”

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He continued: “I felt the captain had an agenda that he will get the best out of him, that he will make him the best player he can ever be. He went with that commitment – when and how much to bowl and batting him above himself.”

MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja

Aakash Chopra feels Ravindra Jadeja was being empowered and prepared for the big match. He also added that the result of the preparation was seen in the final, with the left-handed batter smashing a six and a four of the last two deliveries and sealed the deal. He also applauded Matheesha Pathirana for his role in resolving CSK’s bowling issues as well.

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“They unleashed a weapon called Matheesha Pathirana. The start was not good, this team’s bowling was slightly weak. Then Sisanda Magala and Deepak Chahar got injured, Dwaine Pretorius was not getting fit in the scheme of things, and Tushar Deshpande was picking up wickets but was extremely expensive. Matheesha Pathirana was prepared. They got him to bowl four overs at the death regularly. Dwayne Bravo used to do this job at his peak and he too used to do this well only. The yorkers, the slower ones, the bouncers with a slingy action, and then the temperament to get hit and still come out and perform,” Aakash Chopra concluded.