"The question comes from this chapter only in the final" - Aakash Chopra lauds Wriddhiman Saha's knock for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 final
Aakash Chopra has lauded Wriddhiman Saha for giving the Gujarat Titans (GT) a flying start in the IPL 2023 final against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Saha scored 54 runs off 39 balls as Hardik Pandya and Co. posted a massive 214/4 after being asked to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday, May 29. However, CSK eventually won the game by five wickets via the DLS method to clinch a record-equaling fifth IPL title.
While reflecting on the Titans' innings in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra praised Saha for rising to the occasion in the crunch game, elaborating:
"Wriddhiman Saha was brilliant and he does this job. You think about preparing for Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya, you prepare for everyone but forget that you have this chapter as well in your book. The question comes from this chapter only in the final. He scored an extremely beautiful half-century."
The former Indian opener lauded MS Dhoni for laying a trap to dismiss Shubman Gill, which didn't yield the desired results due to a dropped catch:
"This is a masterstroke - the field that was set for Shubman Gill. For the first time I saw an odd field to stop Shubman Gill's storm. He kept a square-leg fielder to the right of the square-leg umpire and a fielder at deep midwicket. A catch went there which was dropped. Shubman Gill was batting very well but eventually got out."
Deepak Chahar put down an easy offering from Gill when the Gujarat Titans opener was on three. The Orange Cap winner made CSK pay for that let-off by smashing a 20-ball 39.
"He wasn't even going at a run-a-ball in the first 6-8 balls" - Aakash Chopra lauds Sai Sudharsan's knock for Gujarat Titans
![Sai Sudharsan top-scored for the Gujarat Titans with a 47-ball 96. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/05/5852f-16854208079410-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra heaped praise on Sai Sudharsan for playing a belligerent knock after a slow start, observing:
"Then Sai Sudharsan. We weren't sure whether Sai will come out to bat. He wasn't even going at a run-a-ball in the first six to eight balls but after that, there was a pivotal moment - a straight four, another towards point, and then a six off Ravindra Jadeja, and then he was unstoppable."
The reputed commentator feels the Gujarat Titans youngster's knock was better than some of the centuries scored in IPL 2023, reasoning:
"I think it was a beautiful 96. We have seen many centuries this year but this 96 was better than many of those centuries because it came under pressure in a final game and against the trap Mahi (MS Dhoni) had laid from behind the stumps. Sai Sudharsan - one for the future."
Sudharsan smoked eight fours and six sixes during his 96-run knock. He was the dominant partner in his 81-run third-wicket partnership with Hardik Pandya, who scored an unbeaten 21 off 12 balls.