"You lost because of the 19th over decision" - Aakash Chopra on Rajasthan Royals' IPL 2023 loss to SunRisers Hyderabad

Aakash Chopra believes the Rajasthan Royals' (RR) decision to give the penultimate over in SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) chase to Kuldip Yadav cost them the game.

The Royals set SRH a mammoth 215-run target after opting to bat first in their IPL 2023 clash in Jaipur on Sunday, May 7. However, they couldn't defend the score as the visitors registered a four-wicket win off the very last delivery.

While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra blamed Sanju Samson's call to give the 19th over to an inexperienced Kuldip Yadav for Rajasthan Royals' loss, elaborating:

"Everyone might blame the last over and the no-ball but you didn't lose because of that, you lost because of the 19th over decision. You had overs left from Obed McCoy and you could have also got Sandeep Sharma to bowl the 19th over but you went with Kuldip Yadav."

The former Indian opener pointed out that the SunRisers Hyderabad were virtually out of the game before Glenn Phillips' assault on the left-arm pacer, stating:

"Nothing against Kuldip, he is a young bowler and bowls well, but three sixes off the first three balls, then a four, and then Glenn Phillips does get out but Hyderabad, who were absolutely out, had come back. Sandeep Sharma almost won the match in the end but the last ball was a no-ball."

Yadav was carted for 24 when SRH needed 41 runs off the last two overs, bringing the equation down to 17 required off the final over.

Sandeep Sharma then seemed to have won the game for the home team when he had Abdul Samad caught by Jos Buttler off the last delivery. However, the RR pacer had overstepped the crease and Samad smoked the resultant free-hit for a six to take his team across the line.

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"They started hitting right from the start" - Aakash Chopra on the SunRisers Hyderabad chase

Abhishek Sharma top-scored for the SunRisers Hyderabad with a 34-ball 55. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Reflecting on the SunRisers Hyderabad's chase, Aakash Chopra highlighted that their batters took the attack to the opposition bowlers from the word go, observing:

"They started hitting right from the start although wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Anmolpreet Singh got out but Abhishek Sharma - he was good, he scored 55 runs at a strike rate of 161. Then Rahul Tripathi scored 47 runs off 29 balls, that was also at a strike rate of 162."

The cricketer-turned-commentator was particularly appreciative of Heinrich Klaasen and Phillips, whose blazing knocks changed the course of the game, saying:

"Heinrich Klaasen came and scored 26 runs off 12 balls at a strike rate of 216. I am talking about strike because it is discussed a lot these days. Anmolpreet was only 132 but he hasn't got to play regularly. Then a storm named Glenn Phillips came."

Klaasen's 12-ball 26 was studded with two fours and as many sixes. Phillips' seven-ball 25 brought the SunRisers Hyderabad back into the back when they seemed down and out before Samad provided the finishing touch.