"Your overseas recruits are letting you down day after day after day" - Aakash Chopra on Punjab Kings' IPL 2024 loss to Gujarat Titans
Aakash Chopra has noted that the Punjab Kings' (PBKS) overseas players have consistently let them down in IPL 2024.
PBKS were bowled out for 142 after opting to bat first in their league game against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Mullanpur on Sunday, April 21. Shubman Gill and company chased down the target with three wickets and five deliveries to spare to hand the hosts their sixth defeat in eight games.
Reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra criticized the Punjab Kings, especially their overseas batters, for floundering against spin.
"When you came to bat, you were unable to play spin. The truth is that you surrendered against spin, whether it was Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad or Rashid Khan. You didn't have any idea. Please hire your overseas recruits carefully next time because your overseas recruits are letting you down day after day after day," he said (17:55).
"It started with Jonny Bairstow and you can see Rilee Rossouw now or Liam Livingstone after that. If you have to play overseas players in India, they have to play spin better but they didn't have a clue. Extremely ordinary batting," the former India opener added.
The Punjab Kings were reduced to 99/7, with Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone and Rilee Rossouw contributing 35 runs between them before falling prey to spin. Harpreet Brar's 12-ball 29 took them to a respectable total, which wasn't enough in the end.
"You had two spinners and one of them was Liam Livingstone" - Aakash Chopra questions Punjab Kings' team selection
![Harpreet Brar (left) was the only frontline spinner in the Punjab Kings' starting XI. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/04/bec09-17137582414197-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra also questioned the Punjab Kings for not including Rahul Chahar in their starting XI on a spin-friendly pitch.
"Then you also ask one more question. Why didn't you play Rahul Chahar when you knew the pitch was going to turn? The opposing team played three spinners and all three were economical and picked up wickets as well - seven wickets between the three spinners. You had two spinners and one of them was Liam Livingstone," he elaborated (18:45).
Reflecting on the Gujarat Titans' chase, the cricketer-turned-commentator criticized Shubman Gill for throwing away his wicket with an indiscreet shot.
"Let's be fair, they made a match of it. They dismissed Wriddhiman Saha at the start. Shubman Gill was playing well but played a bad shot to get out. You could have gone after finishing the game. David Miller isn't scoring runs at all. When Sai Sudharsan got out to Sam Curran's ball, the match opened up suddenly," Chopra said.
On the flip side, Chopra praised Rahul Tewatia for finishing the game with his smartness.
"Ultimately Rahul Tewatia came. I find him a very interesting player. Some players have the power to hit sixes. He doesn't have that power but he converts his weakness into his strength. He says he has the cricketing smarts to play the field and the situation, pick his bowlers, and choose the right option at the right time. That makes Rahul Tewatia the player he is," he observed.
Gill played a Liam Livingstone delivery straight down the long-off fielder's throat for a 29-ball 35. Tewatia smashed an unbeaten 36 off just 18 deliveries to take the Titans over the line.