In a thrilling showdown at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Gujarat Titans (GT) managed to upset the table-toppers Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2024. The Titans successfully chased down a challenging target of 197 runs, securing a remarkable victory from a seemingly daunting position.
Renowned cricket analyst Aakash Chopra expressed his perplexity regarding RR’s bowling strategy, particularly regarding their premier pacer Trent Boult. Reflecting on the game on his YouTube channel, Chopra questioned the team’s decision to restrict Boult to just two overs, despite his impressive performance.
“Why did Trent Boult bowl only two overs? I didn’t understand that. Two overs, eight runs, and he bowled only two overs. Why? Keshav gave 16 runs in his two overs, so only 24 runs went in those four overs. Trent Boult could have been given overs in the middle but you didn’t do that. You went towards spinners,” Aakash Chopra remarked.
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Keshav Maharaj, making his debut for the Royals, was limited to just two overs, conceding 16 runs. Aakash Chopra suggested that Boult, who conceded only eight runs in two overs, should have been given a more extended spell to capitalize on the conditions.
“If you are bowling with a dry ball, then if you have scored enough runs, you should have the bowling to defend it. The truth is that Rajasthan has the bowling. They didn’t play Nandre Burger but despite that, they have the bowling. Keshav Maharaj made his debut and they got him to bowl only two overs,” he elaborated.
While commending Kuldeep Sen’s three-wicket haul, Aakash Chopra noted that both Sen and Avesh Khan faltered in the final overs as GT successfully chased down the target with three wickets in hand.
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“I will praise Kuldeep Sen because he picked up three wickets initially. However, towards the end, he succumbed to pressure. Avesh Khan was also bowling a decent over but then he conceded a boundary,” Aakash Chopra further analyzed.
The Titans needed 35 runs off the final two overs. Sen conceded 20 runs in the penultimate over, while Avesh gave away 17 runs in the final over, sealing the Titans’ thrilling victory.
