CSK vs GT: We Call This Team Chennai Express, But This Was Chennai Mail - Aakash Chopra On CSK's Slow Batting Vs GT

Aakash Chopra has condemned Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for their meek batting approach on Sunday (May 15) in their IPL 2022 game against Gujarat Titans (GT).

MS Dhoni’s side oversaw just 133-5 in their assigned 20 overs in the wake of electing to bat first. The Titans pursued down the target without breaking a sweat, winning by seven wickets with five balls in excess.

CSK Opted To Bat But Wagon Didn’t Move At All: Aakash Chopra

While assessing the CSK-GT conflict in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra featured that the reigning champs were drowsy during their batting exertion. He observed:

“CSK won the toss and opted to bat first but the wagon didn’t move at all. We call this team Chennai Express but this was Chennai Mail, they were moving extremely slowly.”

While recognizing that Ruturaj Gaikwad (53 off 49) and Narayan Jagadeesan (39* off 33) made fair commitments with the bat, the cricketer-turned-commentator scrutinized the strike rate of their innings. Chopra elaborated:

“Ruturaj Gaikwad did score runs but the pace at which he scored the runs, not good enough. Honestly, you will have to run faster. Jagadeesan was made to bat up the order but he also went slowly.”

Aakash Chopra Hails Wriddhiman Saha’s Knock

He called attention to that a 134-run target was never going to be sufficient and commended Wriddhiman Saha for bringing his bat through the Titans’ pursuit. Chopra said:

“MS Dhoni said later that you won’t come to know unless you try but the number of runs you scored, you bat for 20 overs and don’t even score 145, that is a bit of a problem. 133 for five – not done at all. Wriddhiman Saha – one more time, he is the man. He stays till the end, scores 67 not out.”

Dhoni recognized in the post-match interview that the pitch was challenging to bat on toward the beginning and that CSK had presumably accepted some unacceptable call by picking to bat first. Nonetheless, the CSK skipper would have believed that his hitters should be more ambitious to set a seriously difficult objective for Hardik Pandya’s group.

Absolutely Forgettable Season For The Men In Yellow: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra finished up by featuring CSK’s unfortunate returns in IPL 2022. He explained:

“The team in yellow, they have won just four matches, are at the ninth spot with just eight points. They can leave Hyderabad behind or come at par with them, but that’s a separate story. It’s been a bad season to be fair.

Even in the bad 2020 season, they registered six wins in the end, it will not be six here because only one match is left and you have won four only. It was an absolutely forgettable season for CSK.”

CSK will expect to dominate their last match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) to finish strong.

A victory in that match will assist them with keeping away from the wooden spoon and could try and take them above Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the points table assuming Kane Williamson’s side loses their two leftover games.

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