"How will it work out if only Pat has to bat?" - Aakash Chopra on SRH's IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 loss to KKR

Aakash Chopra has noted that the SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) batters let their team down in the IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He pointed out that the IPL 2016 champions had to rely on Pat Cummins to bail them out of trouble.

SRH were bowled out for 159 after opting to bat first in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 21. KKR chased the below-par target down with eight wickets and 38 deliveries to spare to book a berth in the final in Chennai on Sunday, May 26.

Reflecting on SRH's batting in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra observed that they fell well short of a fighting total despite Cummins' valiant 24-ball 30.

"Pat Cummins tried. Pat can bat but how will it work out if only Pat has to bat? He became the third-highest run-scorer of the Hyderabad batting unit but the team was left way behind. This team got all out for the first time while batting first. The intention was to score 250 and even 175 remained very far," he said (3:35).

The former India opener noted that Mitchell Starc's early strikes put SRH behind the eight ball.

"Travis Head was sent immediately to the pavilion by Arshdeep (Singh) in the last match and Mitchell Starc in this match. Starc first dismissed Travis Head for zero and then Nitish Reddy tried to hit across the line and the ball went straight up in the air. He dismissed Shahbaz Ahmed off the next ball. He was on a hat-trick in the powerplay overs itself," Chopra elaborated (2:00).

Starc registered figures of 3/34 in four overs. He dismissed Travis Head (0), Nitish Kumar Reddy (9) and Shahbaz Ahmed (0) in his first three overs.

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"He played many unconventional shots" - Aakash Chopra on SRH's Rahul Tripathi

Rahul Tripathi scored 55 runs off 35 balls. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra praised Rahul Tripathi for playing an enterprising knock after SRH had lost four wickets in the powerplay.

"Abhishek Sharma also got out. Hyderabad's Charminar was dismissed in the powerplay itself. It seemed it was impossible to emerge from there. Rahul Tripathi batted well for some time. He played many unconventional shots. He tries less to play with the straight bat," he said (2:40).

While also appreciating Heinrich Klaasen for playing a few big shots, the reputed commentator noted that the South African wicketkeeper-batter's dismissal followed by Tripathi's run-out spelled trouble for SRH.

"Heinrich Klaasen played well. His six-hitting ability is different. He hits short-pitched balls with a straight bat. Don't know how he does that but he does. When he too got out, the innings stumbled. Abdul Samad came after that. He anyway comes riding a horse but Rahul Tripathi got run out. When Rahul Tripathi got run out, it wasn't going to happen," Chopra elaborated.

Chopra noted that Abdul Samad lacked cricketing smarts as he threw away his wicket soon after Tripathi's dismissal. He also opined that Washington Sundar might have been a better option than Sanvir Singh, who was dismissed for a golden duck, as the impact player.