“If Sourav Ganguly couldn’t read this pitch, who could have?” – In DC’s IPL defeat to KKR, Aakash Chopra challenges Rishabh Pant’s choice to bat first

Rishabh Pant’s choice to bat first in the Delhi Capitals’ (DC) IPL 2024 defeat to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has drawn criticism from Aakash Chopra.

The Capitals chose to set a goal in Kolkata on Monday, April 29, and ended up with a below-average score of 153/9. With seven wickets and 21 deliveries remaining, the hosts overcame the target to move up to second place in the points standings.

Even with Sourav Ganguly in their camp, Chopra was taken aback by the Delhi Capitals’ incapacity to read the Eden Gardens pitch when he reviewed the game in a video posted to his YouTube account.

“Who wins the toss and goes to bat first? Not to be too critical, but if that is the case, I feel compelled to address it. In the previous thirty matches, the side that wins the toss has only twice batted first, and both times they have lost. No one bats first in Kolkata, so it’s not like you always win while chasing,” he said at 0:50.In any case, batting becomes a little easier later on, but Delhi said they would bat first. It astonished me. Who could have interpreted this pitch if not Sourav Ganguly? It feels as smooth as the back of his hand. It wasn’t comprehensible since you know everything about it, the former India opener said.

In their last two games, the Capitals have prevailed while batting first in Delhi. These outcomes may have persuaded Pant and associates to establish a goal even in Kolkata.

Rishabh Pant’s style of batting also surprised Aakash Chopra.

“You thought that skipper Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel would lead their side out of difficulty after four wickets went swiftly. Still, I was taken aback. You can’t bat like that, Rishabh. It seemed as if he was attempting a novel move off each ball.

He made many attempts to play the same shot,” he said (2:50).”After committing, he stated he wouldn’t even listen to himself, and he left after a catch was dropped that didn’t even touch his bat once. In two games, he has already been out to Varun Chakaravarthy twice. The manner he was hitting was extremely, very unexpected.

The former cricket player and current broadcaster said, “We have seen Pant playing much better than that.”
Harshit Rana dropped Pant at short third man after he top-edged a bowling attempt by Varun Chakaravarthy. In the KKR spinner’s subsequent over, he attempted a similar hit, but Shreyas Iyer caught him at extra cover.