Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra praised MS Dhoni and said that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper used Ambati Rayudu well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Aakash Chopra said that Ambati Rayudu played an important knock in the final to help the team lift the trophy.
Ambati Rayudu played an impactful innings in the IPL 2023 final match against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on May 29. The right-handed batter took on the opposition’s best bowler Mohit Sharma and smashed two sixes and a four when 38 runs were needed off 18 balls.
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His Knock Was Extremely Important – Aakash Chopra
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed out that Ambati Rayudu played the majority of the matches as an ‘Impact Player’. Chopra said that Rayudu ended his career on a high note.
“Very few people have a trophy in hand after playing their final match. Dhoni used him very well this year, that he will be the Impact Player if they are batting second, and that he could opt not to field if they got to bat first. The last match he played, if Chennai won the tournament, his knock was extremely important,” Aakash Chopra said.
“In fact, he struck two sixes and a four in the three balls before he got – 16 runs in three balls. You needed 10 runs off the last two balls. If he had scored only 10 runs in those three balls, you would have needed 16 off the last two balls, which couldn’t have been scored,” he added.
The 37-year-old batter announced his retirement before the final match of the tournament. The right-handed batter scored 19 runs off 8 deliveries during the five-wicket victory over the defending champions.
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He Picked Up Not One Or Two But Six Trophies – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra praised Ambati Rayudu for his success in the IPL and said that he played an important role for the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings during his career.
“He picked up not one or two but six trophies – three for Mumbai and three for Chennai. He played important roles, he used to score runs in whichever position he got to bat,” he continued.
“He played extremely well against spin, there is no doubt about that, but he was also very effective against fast bowling. He just understood how to score runs, how to play big shots, when to take chances and when not to,” he concluded.
Rayudu represented the Mumbai franchise from 2010 to 2017 and won three trophies in 2013, 2015, and 2017. He joined the Chennai franchise in 2018 and went on to win as many trophies as CSK in 2018, 2021, and 2023.
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