IPL 2020: 'I was shouting from the commentary box that KXIP should send Mayank Agarwal to bat in the Super Over' - Aakash Chopra
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has opined that Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) made a huge tactical mistake by not sending Mayank Agarwal as one of the batsmen in the Super Over in their IPL 2020 clash against the Delhi Capitals yesterday. He made this observation while reviewing the second match of this season's IPL in a video shared on his YouTube channel.
Aakash Chopra questioned the KXIP team management's decision to not send Mayank Agarwal to bat in the Super Over, considering the sublime form he was in.
"I have huge questions in mind on what KXIP was doing. The match was in your grasp. Mayank Agarwal played amazingly well but why you didn't send him to bat in the Super Over."
The 43-year old, who was commentating on the game, mentioned that he was shouting from the commentary box asking Mayank Agarwal to be sent in to bat in the Super Over but KXIP ended up sending KL Rahul, Nicholas Pooran and Glenn Maxwell instead.
"I was shouting from the commentary box to send him, he has scored so many runs and is the only guy in form. You send Nicholas Pooran and KL Rahul and after that you send Maxwell."
Aakash Chopra lamented the fact that KXIP lost two wickets in the first three deliveries of the Super Over to lose a match that was theirs for the taking.
"You made the Super Over as a baby over, you lost 2 wickets in just 3 balls. You have let go of a match that you should have won."
He added that Delhi Capitals would be thanking their lucky stars because KXIP lost a couple of wickets of the last two deliveries in the final over of the main match, that too off full tosses, when just one run was required for victory.
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"Delhi Capitals got out of jail because they should have won this match easily but it had gone out of their hands and then the Super Over happened only because two wickets were lost on full tosses in the last two balls of the original match."
Aakash Chopra on Mayank Agarwal's majestic innings for KXIP
While talking about Mayank Agarwal's knock, Aakash Chopra mentioned that he deserved full marks for fighting till the end when all the other prominent KXIP batsmen had made their way back to the hut.
"Mayank Agarwal gets a full 100 out of 100 marks. Because the match had gone out of their hands with all other main batsmen dismissed and the team was down in the dumps. But he kept fighting on his own."
The reputed commentator observed that Mayank Agarwal's inning will be one of the best knocks of IPL 2020, pointing out that it was much superior to the ones played by Ambati Rayudu and Faf du Plessis on the opening day of the season.
"He played the knock of the IPL, of his own career and one of the finest knocks we will be seeing in the entire season. We saw Ambati Rayudu and Faf du Plessis but what we saw from him was different."
Aakash Chopra signed off by suggesting that the Karnataka opener's enterprising knock might have put paid to Chris Gayle's hopes of making a comeback into the KXIP playing XI, at least for some time to come.
"One more thing has happened because of his knock, what will happen to Chris Gayle. Now he will not get to play, so Chris Gayle's IPL 2020 has been put on a temporary hold because Mayank Agarwal will be opening with KL Rahul now."
Mayank Agarwal played a sensational 89-run knock off just 60 deliveries to take KXIP to the brink of victory after they were staring down the barrel at a score of 101 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in the 16th over, chasing 158 for victory.
Unfortunately, he couldn't take the team across the line as he was dismissed off the penultimate delivery of the innings with KXIP needing just one run for victory. Much to his dismay, Chris Jordan also got dismissed off the final delivery and the team went on to lose the contest in the Super Over.