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IPL 2021: "There was a huge miscalculation" - Aakash Chopra on Stoinis bowling the last over for the Delhi Capitals

Amit Mishra did not bowl his full quota of overs for the Delhi Capitals [P/C: iplt20.com]
Amit Mishra did not bowl his full quota of overs for the Delhi Capitals [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra believes that the Delhi Capitals (DC) giving the last over of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) innings to Marcus Stonis was a huge miscalculation.

Amit Mishra had bowled three overs of his spell by the 11th over of the RCB innings. But the Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant didn't bring the leg-spinner back for his fourth over and had to give Marcus Stoinis the last over to complete his quota.

While reviewing Delhi Capitals' loss to RCB in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed out that it was a grave error for the Aussie all-rounder to bowl the final over.

"171 was a huge score but there was also a huge miscalculation. Amit Mishra was bowling well, he had dismissed Maxwell and you didn't give him the fourth over. You held him back and couldn't bowl him later. Stoinis bowled the 20th over and it went for 23 runs," said Chopra.

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that Mishra should have completed his quota earlier and one of the Delhi Capitals' specialist seamers should have bowled the last over.

"Game, set and match - that was the difference in the end because you lost the match by just one run. Mishra should have bowled earlier and you could have kept an over of Avesh, Rabada or Ishant for the end. It was Stoinis' first over of the match and AB was there at the other end, absolutely not right," added Chopra.

AB de Villiers smashed 23 runs in the last over bowled by Stoinis, including three towering sixes, and helped RCB cross the 170-run mark.


"It would have better for the Delhi Capitals if Hetmyer had played the last six balls" - Aakash Chopra

Shimron Hetmyer played a blazing 53-run knock for the Delhi Capitals [P/C: iplt20.com]
Shimron Hetmyer played a blazing 53-run knock for the Delhi Capitals [P/C: iplt20.com]

While talking about the Delhi Capitals run-chase, Aakash Chopra reckoned they might have achieved the target had Shimron Hetmyer played a majority of the deliveries in the last over.

"It was one of those rare days where Rishabh Pant couldn't strike the ball. Hetmyer at the other end was absolutely smashing it. I am probably saying this for the first and last time - it would have better for the Delhi Capitals if Hetmyer had played the last six balls," said Chopra.

Also see: MI vs DC head to head stats

The 43-year-old reasoned that while Rishabh Pant is known to be a destructive batsman, Hetmyer was striking the ball better on the night.

"Pant was there and you won't get a better hitter than him but this was Hetmyer's night. There were 10 runs required off the last two balls. There were two full tosses and at least one of them should have been struck for a six," concluded Chopra.

The Delhi Capitals needed 14 runs off the last over bowled by Mohammed Siraj. Pant faced all but one delivery in the over and although he struck boundaries off the last two balls, the IPL 2020 finalists fell short of the target by one run.


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