"Phit Salt was there with Sunil Narine and both together did an assault" - Aakash Chopra on KKR's batting in IPL 2024 loss to PBKS

Aakash Chopra has lauded Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) openers Sunil Narine and Phit Salt for playing attacking knocks in the IPL 2024 clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

Narine and Salt stitched together a 138-run opening-wicket partnership to help KKR set PBKS a mammoth 262-run target in Kolkata on Friday, April 26. However, the visitors chased the target down with eight wickets and as many deliveries to spare to climb above the Mumbai Indians (MI) into eighth position on the points table.

Reflecting on KKR's batting in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Narine and Salt made the most of the reprieves they got.

"Captain Shreyas Iyer lost the toss and they were invited to bat first. Sunil Narine is going at a different level these days. Phit Salt was there with Sunil Narine and both together did an assault. Catches were dropped and everyone was getting lives," he said (1:45).

The former India opener added that the duo took the hosts to a record score of 137 for no loss at the halfway mark of their innings.

"Kolkata posted the highest 10-over-mark total of their 17-year history. I think it was 137 or 139. Sunil Narine somehow got out in the end and Phil Salt also got out. There was a semblance of a feeling that you might be hit less now," Chopra observed.

Narine smashed 71 runs off 32 deliveries with the help of nine fours and four sixes. Salt smoked six fours and as many sixes in his 37-ball 75.

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"I was extremely surprised that why Shreyas came ahead of Rinku Singh" - Aakash Chopra on KKR skipper's batting position

Shreyas Iyer batted at No. 5 against PBKS. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra praised KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer for proving his decision to bat ahead of Rinku Singh right.

"Venkatesh Iyer came and he also tried to play big shots. After that, Andre Russell was promoted and he too hit big shots. I was extremely surprised that why Shreyas came ahead of Rinku Singh. So Shreyas also scored 28 runs off 10 balls and said that's why he came and that Rinku Singh wouldn't have hit more than him," he said (2:50).

The cricketer-turned-commentator attributed the tall score to the players' ultra-aggressive mindset.

"The bowlers got hit a lot and it wasn't because of the 'Impact Player' rule. Both openers scored half-centuries and not many players got out. Ramandeep (Singh) came in the end for one ball and he too hit a six. So where does the impact player come there? An extra batter wasn't required. The change has been in the mindset," Chopra noted.

While Venkatesh scored a 23-ball 39, Russell smashed 24 runs off 12 deliveries. Shreyas smoked 28 runs off 10 balls. Rinku Singh, who batted at No. 6 and walked out to bat only in the 19th over, scored five runs off four deliveries.