"Clothes are not washed as badly in a laundry" - Aakash Chopra on KKR's destructive batting in IPL 2024 win vs Delhi Capitals

Aakash Chopra has lauded the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batters for once again bringing their destructive game to the fore in their IPL 2024 clash against the Delhi Capitals (DC).

KKR set DC a massive 273-run target after opting to bat first in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, April 3. The two-time champions then bundled Rishabh Pant and company out for 166 to complete a comprehensive 106-run win and move atop the points table.

Reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that the Kolkata Knight Riders batters took the Delhi Capitals attack to the cleaners.

"Kolkata - what are you doing? What sort of season is this? Clothes are not washed as badly in a laundry the way you are beating up the bowlers, who does like that? Whichever batter comes says the Delhi bowlers are like a drum, everyone was drumming them, what was happening?" he said (15:20).

The former India opener chose KKR all-rounder Sunil Narine as the standout performer of the day.

"It started with Sunil Narine. He was the No. 1 performer of the day. It's very difficult to choose the performer of the day in this match as they were hit a lot and 272 runs were scored. However, let's choose one - Sunil Narine, because he was also the Player of the Match," Chopra stated.

"You associate aggressive shots with Narine. He does all that but the consistency. He got run out in the first match but after that, he destroyed Bengaluru in Bengaluru in the last match and he hit here again. Who would have thought this season's highest score would come from Sunil Narine's bat?" the cricketer-turned-commentator added.

Narine smashed 85 runs off just 39 deliveries with the help of seven fours and as many sixes. He later returned figures of 1/29 in four overs during the Capitals' chase.

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"They are almost guaranteed to reach the final four" - Aakash Chopra on KKR

The Kolkata Knight Riders didn't qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2023. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra reckons the Kolkata Knight Riders might be the first team to qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs.

"Delhi's bowling was extremely ordinary, including the strategy, but how well is Sunil Narine batting. Until he keeps playing like this, I am repeatedly saying that KKR hai taiyaar. They are almost guaranteed to reach the final four, they were in my top four in any case, but could be the first team," he said (16:20).

On the flip side, Chopra opined that the Delhi Capitals are unlikely to have a good season. He doesn't see things changing radically and very quickly for the Delhi-based franchise.