"KKR, are you taiyaar?" - Aakash Chopra on Kolkata Knight Riders's IPL 2025 loss to Mumbai Indians
Former India player Aakash Chopra has noted that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have had an indifferent start to their IPL 2025 campaign and questioned their preparedness to defend their title. He criticized the three-time champions' batting approach during their thrashing by the Mumbai Indians (MI).
KKR managed only 116 runs after Hardik Pandya asked them to bat first in Match 12 of IPL 2025 in Mumbai on Monday, March 31. The home team achieved the target with eight wickets and 43 deliveries to spare to register their first win in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League.
Reflecting on KKR's batting in a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener wondered whether they fell prey to the desire of posting a total close to 250.
"KKR, you started with a loss, then you got a win, and have been handed a loss again. KKR, are you taiyaar? Are teams trying too hard to hit consistently? Is the ghost of 250 causing problems? It's worth asking because there was slight help on the pitch, but was the help that much? The help wasn't that much for you to lose wickets one after the other," he said (0:20).
Chopra pointed out that KKR were bundled out for less than 120 despite using an additional batter in Manish Pandey as an Impact Player, with Ramandeep Singh resultantly batting at No. 9.
"You feel you have the permission to run faster because of the Impact Player rule because Ramandeep was coming at No. 9. However, you aren't able to play 20 overs despite Ramandeep coming at No. 9. If your innings gets folded up in 16 overs and you score 116 runs in total, it means you went too hard, too soon," he observed.
Aakash Chopra noted that the Kolkata Knight Riders haven't been the only team that has failed to apply the break when required in IPL 2025. He pointed out that the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) also didn't entertain the thought of batting 20 overs during their seven-wicket loss against the Delhi Capitals (DC) in Visakhapatnam a day earlier.
"The Mumbai Indians' scouting will have to be praised" - Aakash Chopra lauds Ashwani Kumar's spell in MI's IPL 2025 win vs KKR
![Ashwani Kumar registered figures of 4/24 in three overs in MI's IPL 2025 win vs KKR. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/04/1d0ae-17434810497605-1920.jpg?w=500)
Reflecting on the Mumbai Indians' bowling in Monday's game, Aakash Chopra praised Ashwani Kumar for delivering a potent spell and the franchise for their scouting abilities.
"This team's fast bowling is good. It looked better when Ashwani Kumar was seen. He did extremely well in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 Cup. He was part of the Punjab Kings as well, but now he is a part of the Mumbai Indians squad. The Mumbai Indians' scouting will have to be praised," he said (3:05) in the same video.
The analyst questioned MI captain Hardik Pandya for not giving the debutant a fourth over to give him a chance to pick up a five-wicket haul.
"I felt you could have allowed him to take five wickets. He had picked up four wickets in three overs. He would have completed a five-wicket haul if you had given him his fourth over. Just think he would have got a five-wicket haul in his first match, but you didn't. Careers get over and you don't get a five-wicket haul," Chopra observed.
Ashwani Kumar had Ajinkya Rahane caught by Tilak Varma at square third man with his first delivery. He subsequently dismissed Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey and Andre Russell to complete his four-wicket haul.