"The sky has a lot of stars but this sky is himself a shining star" - Aakash Chopra lauds Akash Madhwal's spell in MI's Eliminator win vs LSG

Aakash Chopra has lauded Akash Madhwal for bowling a match-winning spell for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2023 Eliminator against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

MI set LSG a 183-run target after opting to bat first in Chennai on Wednesday, May 24. Madhwal then registered sensational figures of 5/5 to help his team bowl out Krunal Pandya and Co. for 101 to complete an emphatic 81-run win and book a berth in Qualifier 2 against the Gujarat Titans.

While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra heaped praise on Madhwal, saying:

"The sky has a lot of stars but this sky is himself a shining star. Akash Madhwal picked up five wickets and gave away only five runs and this five-title-winning team has reached the next stage and will meet the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad."

The former Indian opener pointed out that the Mumbai Indians seamer was unquestionably the most valuable player of the game, stating:

"What a game it was where Naveen-ul-Haq picked up four wickets and Yash Thakur took three wickets, but a guy did a better job than that, he picked a five-wicket haul. Akash Madhwal did an amazing job. Akash Madhwal without a shadow of doubt is my most valuable player."

Naveen-ul-Haq and Yash Thakur returned figures of 4/38 and 3/34 respectively for the Lucknow Super Giants. Madhwal outshone them with his five-wicket haul that blew away the opposition.

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"He bowls wicket-taking lines" - Aakash Chopra on Akash Madhwal's specialty

Akash Madhwal dismissed Prerak Mankad in his first over. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra explained why Madhwal is penetrative with both the old and new ball:

"What is the specialty of this bowler? He picked up four wickets in the last match where he was hitting the ball on the pads and stumps at the death. He always finishes his ball within the three stumps. Here with the new ball as well. The new ball moves away slightly, so he bowls wicket-taking lines there too."

The cricketer-turned-commentator was particularly appreciative of the Uttarakhand seamer's delivery that dismissed Nicholas Pooran, elaborating:

"Remember, he dismissed Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha as well. Here he dismissed Prerak Mankad and after that, when he came in the middle, the Nicholas Pooran delivery was extremely beautiful. Forget T20, a guy would get out to that ball in a Test match too. He was absolutely stellar and then came later to bowl the ball in the block hole."

Chopra concluded by pointing out that Madhwal wrote his name in the history books. The right-arm pacer not only registered the best figures in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League but also the best in a playoff game in the tournament's history.