IPL 2021: Aakash Chopra Unimpressed By Manish Pandey’s Strike Rate During KKR Vs SRH Match, Questions Abdul Samad’s Lower Batting Position 

Former Indian cricketer and active commentator Aakash Chopra feels that Manish Pandey’s strike rate during Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders match in IPL 2021 was not ideal. Manish Pandey scored 61 runs off 44 balls at a strike rate of 138+ as Sunrisers Hyderabad looked to chase KKR’s 187-6.

Manish Pandey was the highest run-scorer for Sunrisers Hyderabad with his unbeaten knock but could not win the match for his team. Sunrisers Hyderabad remained 10 runs short of victory after needing 22 runs off the final over. Manish Pandey hit 2 sixes and 3 fours during his knock. He hit some big shots in the end but started a little slowly after the loss of openers David Warner (3) and Wriddhiman Saha (3) cheaply.

Manish Pandey’s Strike Rate Was Not Ideal, Feels Aakash Chopra

In his Youtube video, Aakash Chopra said that Manish Pandey should have batted at a higher strike rate since Sunrisers Hyderabad were chasing a big total in the match.

“There was a partnership between Manish Pandey and Bairstow. Bairstow played very well, he justified his selection, but if you leave out the last-ball six, Pandey went at a strike rate of 127, which is not ideal when you are trying to chase down a huge total,” said Aakash Chopra.

However, Chopra also said Pandey will get confidence with the fifty in the first match and will score more runs ahead.

“But it was just the first match. If you score runs in the first match, it means the season can be good. He is an important member of this team. So, the start has been good, he will get confidence from this fifty and because of that will score more runs going ahead,” Aakash Chopra further said.

Aakash Chopra was also surprised by Abdul Samad’s batting order being too low. Samad scored 19 runs off 8 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad during the chase.

“The other question is you kept Samad too low down the order. It’s another thing I was slightly surprised with but that’s okay because you expect more sixes from Vijay Shankar and Nabi based on their reputation. Samad is my favourite player.

“How well he bats, he had hit 36 sixes in his debut first-class season. And he has hit sixes against Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Jasprit Bumrah, and Pat Cummins in the IPL,” Aakash Chopra added.

Nitish Rana was adjudged player of the match for his 80-run knock for Kolkata Knight Riders. Along with Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi’s (53) half-centuries, KKR managed to put a big total of 187-6 while batting first. After losing both the openers within 2.1 overs, Sunrisers Hyderabad managed a slow start with just 35 runs in the powerplay overs.

Jonny Bairstow (55) and Manish Pandey (61) managed a good partnership of 92 runs for the 3rd wicket in the middle overs. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad eventually lost the match 10 runs.