Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra believes Brandon King and not Romario Shepherd was the standout performer in the fifth T20I between India and the West Indies as well. Team India are all set the Windies a 166-run target in the final game of the five-match series in Lauderhill, Florida, on Sunday, August 13. King then smashed an unbeaten 85 off just 55 deliveries as Rovman Powell and Co. won the match by eight wickets and won the series by 3-2.
While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said: “Romario Shepherd was given the Player of the Match award, which was adjudicated by the commentators. In my opinion, it was Brandon King. In the last match we were saying Singh is king, Brandon said my name is King. He did a king size job and won his team the match. Romario Shepherd did pick up four wickets, which was not a bad effort at all, actually a stellar effort, but the runs were not that less on that pitch, where the ball was turning.”
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Aakash Chopra also added that Akeal Hosein and Roston Chase’s performances with the ball showed that the pitch was assisting the spinners. He also praised Brandon King for playing a stunning knock that helped his side register an emphatic win as well.
He said: “Their two spinners, Akeal Hosein and along with him Roston Chase, conceded only 49 runs in eight overs and picked up three wickets. It means the conditions were helpful for spin.”
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“Brandon King’s form has not been that good. I see him more as an ODI batter than a T20 batter. So the sort of knock he played and the way he played, the clean-hitting he did, he even hit once with just one hand, he was absolutely brilliant. He stayed till the end as well and won his team the match one-sided,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
