Renowned cricket analyst Akash Chopra and former Indian cricketer expressed strong disapproval of Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) leg-spinner Suyash Sharma for his wide delivery attempt aimed at preventing Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) Yashasvi Jaiswal from achieving a century in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) Season 16.
During the 13th over of the match, Jaiswal found himself at the non-striker’s end, just six runs short of his well-deserved century. RR captain Sanju Samson faced the final delivery of the over, where Suyash bowled a leg-side delivery that could have been called a wide. However, Samson skillfully managed to connect his bat to the ball, preventing it from racing past the boundary ropes.
Following the incident, the leg-spinner wore a brazen smile on his face, prompting Samson to gesture to Yashasvi, urging him to achieve the milestone by hitting a six in the subsequent over. This was a crucial moment as RR only required three runs to secure victory after Suyash’s over.
Taking to Twitter, Akash Chopra voiced his disapproval, stating, “Attempting to bowl a wide to prevent Yashasvi from reaching his century… a distasteful move in my humble opinion.”
In response to the ensuing debates among fans, the former cricketer presented a hypothetical scenario to illustrate the reasoning behind his criticism of Suyash’s actions. He remarked, “Just imagine if a Pakistani bowler were to attempt the same to thwart Kohli from scoring his century. Those who are currently preaching that it was unintentional and permissible would ensure that the bowler becomes a trending topic within minutes. This, in my opinion, is a classic example of typical Twitter behavior.”
Yashasvi Jaiswal, the 21-year-old opener, achieved an unbeaten 98*, smashing five sixes and thirteen boundaries. Meanwhile, captain Sanju Samson played a vital role, remaining unbeaten on 48 runs from just 29 balls. With this exceptional performance, Jaiswal’s IPL 2023 tally rose to 575 runs, positioning him second in the tournament, trailing Royal Challengers Bangalore’s skipper, Faf du Plessis, by just one run.
Rajasthan Royals effortlessly reached their target of 150 runs in just 13.1 overs at the iconic Eden Gardens. This resounding victory propelled RR back into the top four, securing 12 points from 12 matches and significantly improving their run rate to +0.633.
