Manish Pandey’s strike-rate against KKR wasn’t ideal: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra, the former Indian cricketer, feels that Manish Pandey’s strike-rate of 138.64 wasn’t ideal during the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) opening game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL). After the Knights set the Orange Army the target of 188, Pandey played until the very end, staying unbeaten on 61 runs off 44 balls.

He was also involved in a 92-run stand with Jonny Bairstow for the third wicket that helped SRH make a comeback after the loss of two early wickets. In his knock, Pandey hit five fours and three sixes, but Chopra reckons that the batsman wasn’t able to up the ante in the hour of need.

“There was a partnership between Manish Pandey and Bairstow. Bairstow played very well, he justified his selection, but if you leave out the last-ball six, Pandey went at a strike rate of 127, which is not ideal when you are trying to chase down a huge total,” Chopra was quoted as saying on his YouTube channel.

Manish Pandey will get confidence from this fifty: Chopra

However, Chopra also feels that the half-century would give the 31-year-old Pandey some confidence going into the upcoming games.

“But it was just the first match. If you score runs in the first match, it means the season can be good. He is an important member of this team. So, the start has been good, he will get confidence from this fifty and because of that will score more runs going ahead,” Chopra added.

Chopra was also surprised with Abdul Samad’s batting position in SRH’s 10-run loss on Sunday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Batting at number seven, Samad smashed an eight-ball 19*. In the 19th over, he also hit Pat Cummins for two sixes to keep the Sunrisers in the hunt.

“The other question is you kept Samad too low down the order. It’s another thing I was slightly surprised with but that’s okay because you expect more sixes from Vijay Shankar and Nabi based on their reputation,” Chopra added.

The Sunrisers, led by David Warner, are next set to lock horns in the IPL with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on April 14 at the Chepauk itself.