"If Pat Cummins is your team's second-highest run-scorer, your batting would have been very ordinary" - Aakash Chopra on SRH's IPL 2024 loss to MI

Aakash Chopra has claimed that the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) dished out an ordinary batting performance in their IPL 2024 loss to the Mumbai Indians (MI). He pointed out that Pat Cummins was their second-highest run-getter.

SRH posted 173/8 after being asked to bat first in Mumbai on Monday, May 6. The hosts chased the target down with seven wickets and 16 deliveries to spare to register their fourth win in 12 games.

Reflecting on the SunRisers Hyderabad's batting in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that they had to rely on Cummins to bail them out of trouble.

"The team reached beyond 170 in the end and the main reason for that was Pat Cummins. Imagine, if Pat Cummins is your team's second-highest run-scorer, your batting would have been very ordinary, there is no doubt about that. However, Pat batted well," he observed (2:20).

The former India opener opined that the Mumbai Indians' defensive approach in the final few overs allowed the visitors to cross the 170-run mark.

"In the end, I felt Mumbai allowed them to score those many runs because there was no attempt to get them out in the last three overs. Even for (Jasprit) Bumrah, the field was set so that a boundary shouldn't be hit, but only two wickets were left," Chopra explained.

"You could have tried a little more to get them out. Such things are not discussed when you win. When you lose, you say this or that was wrong," the former KKR player added.

SRH were reduced to 136/8 after 17 overs. However, Cummins' 17-ball unbeaten 35 and his unbroken 37-run ninth-wicket partnership with Sanvir Singh (8* off 7) helped them reach a respectable total.

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"PC is still working in the world of iPad and mobile" - Aakash Chopra lauds Piyush Chawla's spell for MI

Piyush Chawla registered figures of 3/33 in four overs. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Speaking about the start of SRH's innings, Aakash Chopra noted that Anshul Kamboj was unfortunate not to dismiss Travis Head before he got rid of Mayank Agarwal as his maiden IPL wicket. The cricketer-turned-commentator praised Piyush Chawla and Hardik Pandya for striking crucial blows.

"Hardik decided to field first. The start was not good. They were bowling wides here and there. Anshul (Kamboj) got a wicket but it turned out to be a no-ball. Then he could have dismissed (Travis) Head again but the catch was dropped. Bumrah took the first wicket," he said (1:35).

"Anshul eventually got Mayank Agarwal out. He hit his stumps. Piyush Chawla was working yesterday, is working today, and it seems like will work tomorrow as well. PC is still working in the world of iPad and mobile. He picked up three wickets and Hardik Pandya also took three wickets," Chopra added.

Hardik returned with figures of 3/31 in four overs. Kamboj delivered a spell of 1/42 in four overs on his IPL debut.