"It was an extremely strange scorecard" - Aakash Chopra on CSK's IPL 2023 win vs Delhi Capitals

Aakash Chopra has pointed out that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) posted a decent total and defeated the Delhi Capitals (DC) despite none of their batters crossing the 25-run mark.

MS Dhoni and Co. set the Capitals a 168-run target in their IPL 2023 clash in Chennai on Wednesday, May 10. Their bowlers then restricted the visitors to 140/8 to help their team register a convincing 27-run and move a step closer to the playoffs.

While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted how the CSK batters made small but significant contributions to take their team to a reasonable score, elaborating:

"Chennai did what they usually do - they won the match in typical Chennai style. Opting to bat after winning the toss made a lot of sense. It was an extremely strange scorecard. Many players scored 20-odd runs but no one scored more than 25 runs and the team reached 167."

Reflecting on the Delhi Capitals' chase, the former Indian opener pointed out that Manish Pandey and Rilee Rossouw's slow partnership put their team behind the eight ball after the loss of three early wickets, explaining:

"When the opposition team chased, first Deepak Chahar did the job at the start and then there was a run-out. After that, Manish Pandey and Rilee Rossouw played at a run-a-ball and when you get out, you leave your team with an asking rate of 15. So you didn't help your team but disadvantaged them."

Pandey (27 off 29) and Rossouw (35 off 37) added 59 runs for the fourth wicket in 9.5 overs after the Capitals were reduced to 25/3. DC needed 79 runs off 33 balls when both of them were dismissed in quick succession and eventually fell way below the target.

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"This is a difficult one" - Aakash Chopra picks Deepak Chahar as his MVP for the CSK-DC clash

Deepak Chahar gave CSK the early breakthroughs. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra observed that it was a tough call to pick the most valuable player (MVP) of the game, saying:

"This is a difficult one that who would you make the most valuable player because everyone scored 20-odd runs. Is that enough but if 167 were not scored, you wouldn't have won this match. So should any batter be the most valuable player?"

The cricketer-turned-commentator named Mitchell Marsh and Deepak Chahar as contenders apart from the CSK batters who made 20-odd runs apiece, stating:

"Mitchell Marsh picked up three wickets but they couldn't win the match. So is he the most valuable player? In bowling, Deepak Chahar picked up two wickets with the new ball, was that the make or break?"

Chopra concluded by picking Chahar as his MVP, reasoning:

"It actually was. You dismissed David Warner and Phil Salt. So Deepak Chahar is my most valuable player. He has come back after injury and the way he has bowled, two wickets in the last match and two wickets in this match. If you pick up two wickets like that in the powerplay, you are doing your team a huge favor."

Chahar registered figures of 2/28 in three overs. While Matheesha Pathirana (3/37) was CSK's most successful bowler, their spinners conceded only 51 runs in the 10 overs they bowled.