Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra feels Delhi Capitals’ batting led to their downfall after their 10-wicket loss against Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Sunday. DC posted 199 runs on the board but Chopra reckons it was a slightly below par score.
Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill scored 108 and 93 runs respectively to take their team over the line with all 10 wickets in hand.
Meanwhile, Chopra reckons Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel and DC captain Axar Patel’s slow batting didn’t help DC on a batting paradise pitch. The trio collectively managed 60 runs off 45 balls and thus they could change gears.
While Faf du Plessis trudged to five off 10 balls, Porel scored 30 runs off 19 balls. The DC captain Axar Patel scored 25 runs off 16 balls.
“Delhi’s bowling was ordinary. Even in batting, I felt they left a bit on the pitch because if only three people got out, you shouldn’t have scored 200 but 225 or 230. Where did they get stuck?” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“If you see the 45 balls Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel and Axar Patel played among them, they scored only 60 runs. No one else will tell you that, but that’s the truth. If you score 60 runs off 45 balls in a game where 220-225 could have been scored, you are left slightly behind, and that’s the difference in the end,” he added.
Meanwhile, KL Rahul scored a fine knock of 112 runs off just 65 balls and the renowned commentator said the flamboyant batter is the only one worth talking about.
“KL Rahul is the only one worth talking about in this innings. He batted incredibly well. He got an opportunity to open for the second time. They make him open when someone is not there, but this time they decided that he only would open,” he said.
“We discussed yesterday that he should be made to open. They got him to open, and he scored a century. He was playing slow at the start. He was going slightly ahead of a run-a-ball. It seemed like he would get them stuck, but he ended with a strike rate of more than 170, played 65 balls and scored more than 110 runs,” Chopra observed.
Delhi Capitals will next take on Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Wednesday.
