"What did Aaron Finch do?" - Aakash Chopra on Sunil Narine's run-out off the 1st ball of Kolkata Knight Riders' innings in IPL 2022 match vs RR
Aakash Chopra is flabbergasted with Aaron Finch's approach at the start of the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) innings in last night's IPL 2022 encounter against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
The Kolkata Knight Riders lost Sunil Narine's wicket to a run-out off the very first ball of their innings while chasing a mammoth 218-run target. Finch, who presumably wanted to get off strike against Trent Boult, sold his opening partner down the river.
While reviewing the Kolkata Knight Riders' run chase in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was baffled by Finch's approach, saying:
"On the first ball itself, what did Aaron Finch do? I didn't understand. He played the ball straight into Shimron Heymyer's hands and ran, didn't even turn back to see what happened to Sunil Narine. This was bizarre, I have never seen that happen."
However, the former Kolkata Knight Riders player did acknowledge that the Australian limited-overs skipper gave the franchise the upper hand through his partnership with Shreyas Iyer. Chopra observed:
"Shreyas Iyer played a captain's knock. Aaron Finch also showed the Finch-hitting after that. It was a very good partnership and they were running ahead of the required run rate."
Iyer and Finch strung together a 107-run partnership for the second wicket in less than nine overs. While the KKR skipper top-scored with 85 runs, the latter smashed 58 runs off just 28 balls.
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"I didn't understand what he did" - Aakash Chopra on Nitish Rana's dismissal during the Kolkata Knight Riders chase
Aakash Chopra was also disappointed with Nitish Rana for throwing away his wicket. He explained:
"Nitish Rana came and I didn't understand what he did. He was struggling at the start, which is fine, then he hits a four and a six in an over, and then one more, 14 runs had come and you were running ahead of the asking rate. The match was totally in your grasp. It was a disappointing shot."
The reputed commentator lauded Ravichandran Ashwin for bowling the perfect carrom ball to get rid of Andre Russell, the Kolkata Knight Riders' danger man.
"After that, comes Ravichandran Ashwin and that carrom ball. We discuss a lot that he bowls too many carrom balls and less off-spin. This carrom ball was as they say - perfect storm, pitched at the right place and moved just enough to hit the stumps. Who was the batter - Andre Russell. That was perhaps the ball of the game."
Aakash Chopra was extremely critical of the batting order adopted by the Kolkata Knight Riders. He elaborated:
"Then the batting order was turned upside down. Sheldon Jackson, then Shivam Mavi, everyone comes and then Pat Cummins comes in the end. Why did you hold him back? That batting disorder didn't make any sense at all. This battle had to be won from the front and not from behind. Shreyas Iyer also told the coach that he didn't like at all what he had done."
Shreyas Iyer was seen having a heated debate with Brendon McCullum when he went to the dugout after his own dismissal.
The Kolkata Knight Riders' decision to probably shield the in-form Pat Cummins against Chahal perplexed everyone, although the Aussie Test skipper was eventually dismissed by the wily leg-spinner to complete his hat-trick.