IPL 2021: "You don't need to walk that much in your stance" - Aakash Chopra on Shreyas Iyer's dismissal during the Delhi Capitals' innings

Shreyas Iyer looked flustered in the middle during the Delhi Capitals' innings [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra highlighted that Shreyas Iyer played some ungainly shots during his short stay at the crease during the Delhi Capitals (DC)'s IPL 2021 Qualifier 1 defeat against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Iyer scored just a solitary run off eight balls in the Indian Premier League (IPL) clash in Dubai on Sunday. He seemed like a cat on a hot tin roof the way he moved around in the crease and tried to go for non-existing singles.

While reflecting on the Delhi Capitals' batting effort, in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra questioned the tactics employed by Shreyas Iyer. He said:

"One thing has happened with Shreyas Iyer. The UAE leg had started well for him but he has also gone off the boil, hasn't he? The way he is getting out, the amount he is walking; you don't need to walk that much in your stance. The shot he played against the fast bowling, that was also not required. He got out."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Axar Patel, who batted at No.4 for the Delhi Capitals, had no option but to play sedately. Chopra reasoned:

"Axar Patel was sent up the order because when you make your batting weak and don't keep depth in it, you had an option of Steve Smith, Sam Billings and Ripal Patel, but you played Tom Curran. Axar plays run-a-ball, and you don't really grudge him because how else will the batting get lengthened."

Decades later, IPL historians will look at the scorecard of this match and wonder why Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur batted at No. 4 in the same match.

While acknowledging that Shimron Hetmyer and Rishabh Pant gave a decent account of themselves, Aakash Chopra opined that the Delhi Capitals' decision to play an additional bowler went awry. He elaborated:

"Once Axar gets dismissed, your team is stuck. Your idea to play more bowlers and less batsmen backfired big time. The game was simmering when Pant and Hetmyer were in the middle. Hetmyer played some good shots. Pant played well, and made a very good half-century."

Pant's unbeaten 51 and Hetmyer's 37 helped the Delhi Capitals post a reasonable score of 172/5. However, they had to be slightly circumspect at the start, as the franchise had lost four wickets around the halfway stage of their innings, with no specialist batters waiting in the dugout.

Also Check: IPL Live Score | IPL stats 2021 | IPL Schedule

"He was absolutely sensational" - Aakash Chopra on Prithvi Shaw's knock for the Delhi Capitals

Prithvi Shaw gave the Delhi Capitals a flying start. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Speaking about the Delhi Capitals' opening partnership, Aakash Chopra was effusive in his praise for Prithvi Shaw. He pointed out:

"Delhi got off to a great start; they played very well. There was Prithvi Shaw with Shikhar Dhawan. Prithvi came; Prithvi saw; Prithvi conquered. He batted amazingly well; it was enjoyable to watch him bat. He was absolutely sensational."

The first 5️⃣0️⃣ by a DC batter in the UAE phase of #IPL2021, and what a time to get it 🤩

@PrithviShaw is top drawer 🔥

#YehHaiNayiDilli #IPL2021 #DCvCSK https://t.co/wu3TICozuy

The 44-year-old added that while Prithvi Shaw got the rub of the green, Shikhar Dhawan had to pay for the first mistake he committed. Chopra said:

"Shikhar got out off Hazlewood's delivery, got an edge and was dismissed. When the ball was hitting the edge of Prithvi Shaw's bat, it was going for fours and when Shikhar got the one edge, out. That's cricket."

Shaw gave the Delhi Capitals a rollicking start, as he flayed the CSK bowlers all around the park. The diminutive opener had scored 75% of the IPL 2020 finalists' runs at the time of his dismissal.