"Make him the brand ambassador of the bullet train" - Aakash Chopra on Umran Malik's match-winning spell for SRH vs PBKS in IPL 2022
Aakash Chopra has said that Umran Malik should be made the brand ambassador of the bullet train, considering the express pace with which he bowls.
Malik registered career-best figures of 4/28 as the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) bowled out the Punjab Kings (PBKS) for 151 runs in Sunday afternoon's IPL 2022 encounter. Kane Williamson's side then chased down the target with seven wickets in hand and as many deliveries remaining.
While reviewing the SRH-PBKS clash in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was effusive in his praise for Umran Malik, saying:
"Umran Malik - make him the brand ambassador of the bullet train which is about to come in India. The 20th over of a T20 game was a maiden over with three wickets and a run out, I mean wow. He picked up four wickets in total. The Jammu Express is running extremely fast. I think he is sensational."
The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player also had a word of praise for the other SRH bowlers for restricting PBKS to a below-par score. Chopra observed:
"Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up three wickets, it was a slow pitch in which he also did a very good job. Suchith also, very very economical and Liam Livingstone's knock was of no use."
Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with figures of 3/22 in his four overs. T Natarajan and Jagadeesha Suchith also scalped a wicket apiece for SRH.
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"The first innings will always be remembered for Umran Malik" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra added that Malik's efforts with the ball overshadowed the blazing knock played by Liam Livingstone for PBKS. He elaborated:
"The first innings will always be remembered for Umran Malik. Liam Livingstone played very well but he didn't get the strike at all in the end. Shahrukh [Khan] got out and then whoever came, whether it was Odean Smith or Rahul Chahar, he (Umran) was hitting everyone's stumps."
The renowned commentator pointed out that Livingstone's partnership with Shahrukh Khan helped PBKS recover from a disastrous start. Chopra stated:
"Shikhar Dhawan out, after that Prabhsimran [Singh] out, [Jonny] Bairstow gone. Jitesh Sharma was batting well - gone. What are you doing, give yourself a little time. There was a good partnership between Shahrukh and Liam, and Liam has a rule that he will only hit 200m sixes."
The Punjab Kings were reduced to a score of 61/4 by the end of the eighth over. Although Livingstone and Khan added 71 runs for the fifth wicket, PBKS lost their last five wickets at the score of 151 to hand back the advantage to SRH.