"Venkatesh Iyer is saying - 'Flower samjhe kya, fire hai main'" - Aakash Chopra on KKR's IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 win vs SRH
Aakash Chopra has lauded Venkatesh Iyer for playing a fiery knock in the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 win against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 21. The left-handed batter smashed an unbeaten 51 off 28 deliveries with the help of five fours and four sixes.
KKR bundled SRH out for 159 after Pat Cummins opted to bat first. The two-time champions achieved the target with eight wickets and 38 deliveries to spare to book their berth in the final in Chennai on Sunday, May 26.
Reflecting on KKR's chase in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra praised Rahmanullah Gurbaz (23 off 14) for giving his side a flying start and Venkatesh for continuing the same aggressive approach.
"Rahmanullah Gurbaz kept hitting after stepping out. He had taken the match forward very quickly before he got out to T Natarajan. When he got out, Venkatesh Iyer came in. Venkatesh Iyer is saying - 'Flower samjhe kya, fire hai main'. He batted extremely well. The template this team has changed deserves special praise," he said (6:45).
"You could have played cautiously in the run chase as you don't want to be hasty but Venkatesh Iyer was in full flow. He stepped out and hit Pat Cummins straight, then a pull and knelt and hit Vijayakanth Viyaskanth for a six. He was very, very good. So applause with both hands for Venkatesh Iyer," the former India opener added.
Chopra also appreciated Shreyas Iyer for playing a much-needed attacking knock.
"Sunil Narine got out for sure but he too had scored 21 runs by then. Then Shreyas came. He got a life and then he also opened his arms. It was extremely important for Shreyas Iyer to do well. He said before the tournament that he would be the anchor. I felt he was selling himself short. You associate such kind of batting with Shreyas Iyer," he elaborated.
Shreyas smoked an unbeaten 58 off 24 balls, a knock studded with five fours and four sixes. The KKR skipper and Venkatesh stitched together an unbroken 97-run third-wicket partnership to take their team to an easy win.
"The huge amount that was spent is being discussed for all the right reasons" - Aakash Chopra lauds KKR's Mitchell Starc
![Mitchell Starc registered figures of 3/34 in four overs. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/05/8182e-17163493198364-1920.jpg?w=500)
Reflecting on KKR's bowling, Aakash Chopra praised Mitchell Starc for delivering a match-winning spell.
"Mitchell Starc - take a bow, outstanding. There is something about the Australians - when it's playoff time, cometh the hour, cometh the man. The huge amount that was spent is being discussed for all the right reasons because Mitchell Starc gave the Player of the Match performance. He broke the back at the start itself," he said (2:05).
The cricketer-turned-commentator also appreciated the other KKR bowlers for playing their roles virtually to perfection.
"Varun Chakaravarthy picked up two wickets. He bowled extremely well, which he always does. He got Bhuvi (Bhuveshwar Kumar) out and picked up the massive wicket of Heinrich Klaasen. Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora took a wicket apiece, and Andre Russell also picked up a wicket in the end before leaving," Chopra observed.
Varun Chakaravarthy complemented Starc's three-wicket haul with figures of 2/26 in four overs. Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell picked up a wicket apiece, with the Jamaican all-rounder also running out Rahul Tripathi with an athletic effort.