"Kuldeep Yadav bowled googly after googly" - Aakash Chopra lauds spinner's spell in Delhi Capitals' IPL 2024 win vs Lucknow Super Giants

Aakash Chopra has lauded Kuldeep Yadav for bowling a match-winning spell in the Delhi Capitals' (DC) IPL 2024 clash against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Kuldeep returned figures of 3/20 in four overs as DC restricted LSG to 167/7 after they opted to bat first in Lucknow on Friday, April 12. Rishabh Pant and company then chased the target down with six wickets and 11 deliveries to spare to register their second win of the season.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra praised Kuldeep for deceiving the LSG batters with his googlies.

"I got my first performer of the day because he was also the Player of the Match. Khaleel (Ahmed) started it, which he always does nowadays, and Kuldeep Yadav bowled googly after googly. First (Marcus) Stoinis tried to hit him and he got out," he said (9:45).

While appreciating the left-arm wrist-spinner for castling Nicholas Pooran for a golden duck, the former India opener questioned the LSG big-hitter's batting position.

"Then Nicholas Pooran fell for a first-ball duck. We are saying that he should come early but that was too early. 7.4 overs - that was Ayush Badoni's time to come but he didn't come. Pooran came and he got out. Then you used your substitute as well in the form of Deepak Hooda. Kuldeep Yadav picked up three wickets in all," Chopra elaborated.

Kuldeep first had Marcus Stoinis caught by Ishant Sharma at backward point while attempting a big hit across the line. He then rattled Pooran's stumps before having KL Rahul caught behind by Rishabh Pant.

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"Things were going extremely ordinary and a special knock came from Ayush Badoni's bat" - Aakash Chopra

Ayush Badoni smashed an unbeaten 55 off 35 deliveries. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Reflecting on the Lucknow Super Giants' batting, Aakash Chopra praised Ayush Badoni for bailing his side out of trouble.

"These many runs wouldn't have been scored, the way they (LSG) batted, which includes Stoinis, Pooran, Devdutt Padikkal, and the sort of shot Deepak Hooda played to get out. So things were going extremely ordinary and a special knock came from Ayush Badoni's bat," he observed (10:50).

"He is my second performer of the day. He bailed the team out when they were stuck. He played some big shots as well. While Deepak Hooda played a rash shot, Ayush Badoni kept playing steadily by taking singles and doubles. He said that things might change if he played till the end and they actually changed," the cricketer-turned-commentator added.

Chopra also appreciated Arshad Khan (20* off 16) for playing the supporting role to perfection. Badoni and Arshad stitched together an unbroken 73-run eighth-wicket partnership when LSG were reduced to 94/7 after 13 overs.