"As soon as Sikandar Raza wins them a match, Punjab drop him" - Aakash Chopra questions Punjab Kings' tactics in IPL 2023 loss to Mumbai Indians
Aakash Chopra has questioned the Punjab Kings' (PBKS) team selection in their IPL 2023 loss to the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Mohali on Wednesday, May 3.
PBKS made three personnel changes from their last win against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with Matthew Short, Nathan Ellis and Rishi Dhawan replacing Sikandar Raza, Kagiso Rabada and Atharva Taide. The move did not yield the desired results as they lost to MI by six wickets despite setting a massive 215-run target.
While reviewing the PBKS-MI clash on the "AakashVani" show on JioCinema, Chopra was stunned by the Punjab Kings' call to drop Sikandar Raza, elaborating:
"Punjab's story is slightly beyond my understanding. Sikandar Raza won them the last match in the end and he picked up a wicket as well, he got Ruturaj Gaikwad out, and they made him sit out."
The former Indian opener added:
"As soon as Sikandar Raza wins them a match, Punjab drop him, they don't play him the next match. He won them the match against Lucknow and he was dropped for the next match. Here again he was dropped after winning them the last game."
Chopra was also taken aback by the Punjab Kings' decision to leave out Kagiso Rabada, stating:
"Matthew Short was playing here. You can do what you feel is right. Rabada also didn't play. Now why Rabada didn't play - I have got no idea. No one tells if he is injured or what is the issue."
Raza smashed an unbeaten 13 off seven deliveries and struck the winning hit against the Chennai Super Kings. Rabada went wicketless in that game but conceded only 34 runs in CSK's 200-run total.
Short scored 27 runs at a strike rate of 103.84 in PBKS' 214-run total against MI. Ellis, however, was the home team's most successful bowler, snaring two wickets while conceding only 34 runs in his four overs.
"One or two balls Liam Livingstone hit were asked to be brought back from Panchkula" - Aakash Chopra on the Punjab Kings' batting
![Liam Livingstone smoked an unbeaten 82 off just 42 balls. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/05/cd4b3-16831713019794-1920.jpg?w=500)
On the flip side, Aakash Chopra heaped praise on Liam Livingstone and the rest of the Punjab Kings batters, saying:
"Liam Livingstone hit a lot, actually everyone hit. Jitesh Sharma's knock was very good. Till the time Shikhar Dhawan and Matthew Short were there, they also played well. One or two balls Liam Livingstone hit were asked to be brought back from Panchkula, they probably didn't come back."
Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma (49 not out off 27) strung together an unbroken 119-run fourth-wicket partnership to take PBKS to a massive total. However, their efforts went in vain as MI chased down the target with seven deliveries to spare.