IPL 2022: Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli's first-ball dismissal in RCB-SRH clash

Aakash Chopra has pointed out that Virat Kohli's first-ball dismissal in Sunday (May 8) afternoon's IPL 2022 encounter between the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) was a heartbreaking moment.

Kohli played an innocuous delivery from Jagadeesha Suchith straight to Kane Williamson at short mid-wicket off the very first ball of the match. However, RCB recovered from the early setback to post a massive score of 192/3 on the board and eventually won the match by 67 runs.

While reflecting on the RCB batting effort in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was dismayed by Kohli's dismissal. He elaborated:

"Faf du Plessis won the toss and decided to bat first. It was heartbreak on the first ball itself. Kohli got out again on the first ball, he has had three golden ducks this season. It was a Jagadeesha Suchith delivery on the leg stump and he hit it straight into Kane's hands. Time is very bad."

However, the former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player was all praise for Rajat Patidar for continuing to perform with the bat for RCB. Chopra observed:

"But Rajat Patidar comes and quietly he does a great job. Once again he was absolutely stellar. In my opinion, he has given gun performances in the last three matches. They lost one of those matches against GT but he scored runs in all of them, he is absolutely outstanding, becomes slightly underrated because Indian uncapped player but this team wouldn't have won without him."

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Patidar scored 48 runs off 38 balls and strung together a 105-run partnership with Faf du Plessis for the second wicket. The Indore-born cricketer scored 52 and a quickfire 21 in RCB's last two games.

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"He has been absolutely stellar" - Aakash Chopra on Dinesh Karthik's knock for RCB

Dinesh Karthik smoked an unbeaten 30 off just eight balls [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra also showered praise on Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik for their blazing knocks. He said:

"After that, Glenn Maxwell comes and hits, his bat shouted till the time he was there and then comes Dinesh Karthik, a life and then as we know, he hits a lot. He has been absolutely stellar. He finished amazingly well, running at strike rates of 300."

The renowned commentator concluded by lauding Faf du Plessis for once again converting his start into a substantial effort. Chopra explained:

"You were able to reach a big total. Faf played continuously at the other end. He starts as an opener and plays the role of a finisher as well, he remains unbeaten. The day he plays, he remains unbeaten and the day he gets out, he gets out very early. This has been the story of his IPL this season."

Du Plessis scored an unbeaten 73 off 50 balls, a knock studded with eight fours and two sixes. The RCB skipper has jumped to third spot in the IPL 2022 Orange Cap race, with his 389 runs only behind Jos Buttler's 618 and KL Rahul's 451.