"It seems the table will remain like this only" - Aakash Chopra on IPL 2023 top 4 after Lucknow Super Giants' win vs Punjab Kings

Aakash Chopra feels the top four teams in the IPL 2023 points table after the Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) win against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) are likely to retain their positions.

LSG set a mammoth 258-run target for PBKS in Mohali on Friday (April 28) and trounced the home team by 56 runs. The Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants, Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings occupy the top four spots in the points table with 10 points apiece and are placed in that order based on their net run rates.

While reflecting on LSG's win against PBKS in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that the IPL 2023 playoff spots might have already been sealed, stating:

"Lucknow have come to the second spot. So well done Lucknow. The top four you are seeing, it seems the table will remain like this only, you see less chances of too many changes there but then we shall find out."

Speaking about the Lucknow Super Giants' innings, the former Indian opener pointed out that all their batters were at their explosive best after KL Rahul was given an early life, elaborating:

"Rahul should have got out off the first ball. Atharva Taide dropped a very easy catch but after that the hitting started. Rahul hit a six and then got out. Everyone kept hitting after that. First Kyle Mayers hit, then Ayush Badoni - who was sent up the order, Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran."

Marcus Stoinis top-scored for the Lucknow Super Giants with a 40-ball 72. Kyle Mayers (54 off 24), Nicholas Pooran (45 off 19) and Ayush Badoni (43 off 24) also played their roles to perfection.

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"It seemed as though book cricket was on" - Aakash Chopra on the Lucknow Super Giants' destructive batting

The LSG batters hit 27 fours and 14 sixes during their innings. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra highlighted that the Lucknow Super Giants batters were primarily dealing in fours and sixes, observing:

"It seemed as though book cricket was on - fours and sixes one after the other. Whichever bowler was coming was getting hit. They played fewer balls and were hitting at a strike of 200."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the PBKS bowlers' transgressions also helped LSG post a humongous total, explaining:

"The opposition bowled four no-balls as well and 18 runs were scored off the free hits too. 257 runs - the second-biggest total of this tournament's history. The first was 263 and they were standing just next to it."

Rahul Chahar (0/29 in four overs) was the only Punjab Kings bowler to have an economy rate of less than 12. Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada conceded more than 50 runs in their four-over spells.