"What is the logic behind sending Mayank Agarwal at No. 6?" - Aakash Chopra questions SunRisers Hyderabad's tactics in IPL 2023 loss to CSK

Aakash Chopra has questioned the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for batting Mayank Agarwal at No. 6 in their IPL 2023 loss to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

SRH set a 135-run target for CSK after being asked to bat first in Chennai on Friday, April 21. The home team chased down the target with seven wickets and eight deliveries to spare to register their fourth win in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League.

While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra criticized the SunRisers Hyderabad for demoting Mayank Agarwal in the batting order, stating:

"When Hyderabad were asked to bat first, they did something different because Hyderabad have to do something different. They dropped Umran Malik in the last match and here they dropped Mayank Agarwal in the batting order.

"What is the logic behind sending Mayank Agarwal at No. 6? I don't know."

The former Indian batter acknowledged that Abhishek Sharma gave a decent account of himself as an opener. He added that Harry Brook was expected to find it difficult at Chepauk, reasoning:

"They got Abhishek Sharma to open - that worked. It is going to be slightly difficult for Harry Brook on these pitches. He got out to pace here and there were extremely bright chances of him getting out to spin because it was a very slow pitch."

Brook was brilliantly caught by Ruturaj Gaikwad at backward point off Akash Singh's bowling for a 13-ball 18. Abhishek top-scored for the SunRisers Hyderabad with a 26-ball 34.

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"No one was striking the ball well with the bat" - Aakash Chopra on the other SunRisers Hyderabad batters

Ravindra Jadeja was the wrecker-in-chief during SRH's innings. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra pointed out that the other SunRisers Hyderabad batters also struggled to force the pace, elaborating:

"Whoever came after that, whether it was Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and then Mayank Agarwal, no one scored runs. Everyone was going at a run-a-ball. No one was striking the ball well with the bat."

The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by praising Ravindra Jadeja, Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad for being the chief architects of CSK's win, observing:

"Ravindra Jadeja was brilliant - he picked up three wickets once again. Then the run chase happened very easily where Ruturaj Gaikwad was there with Devon Conway. Ruturaj Gaikwad was unfortunate to get run out at the non-striker's end or else he might have also scored 70-odd runs."

Jadeja, who won the Player of the Match award, registered figures of 3/22 in four overs after SRH were comfortably placed at 70/1 after nine overs. Conway, meanwhile, smashed an unbeaten 77 off 57 balls and added 87 runs for the first wicket with Gaikwad (35 off 30) to take CSK across the line.