"He took the Bengali song 'Ekla Chalo Re' slightly seriously" - Aakash Chopra lauds Venkatesh Iyer's knock in KKR's IPL 2024 win vs MI

Aakash Chopra has lauded Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Venkatesh Iyer for virtually single-handedly taking his side to a fighting total in their IPL 2024 clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI).

Venkatesh scored a 52-ball 70 as KKR set MI a 170-run target in Mumbai on Friday, May 3. The visitors then bundled Hardik Pandya and company out for 145 to register a 24-run win and consolidate their second position on the points table.

Reflecting on KKR's innings in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra praised Venkatesh for almost being a lone warrior. He also appreciated Manish Pandey for playing a decent knock as the impact sub.

"They got Pandey ji as an impact sub. There was a question there whether they used him early. At that stage, it seemed like they could have sent Ramandeep first and then Russell, and held him back till the end, or else they might be a bowler short in the second innings," he said (1:50).

"However, Manish Pandey scored runs. Pandey ji played very well till the time he played. Venkatesh Iyer was there alongside him. He scored a century the last time he played at the Wankhede and scored 70 runs this time too. He fought till the end. He took the Bengali song 'Ekla Chalo Re' slightly seriously," the former India opener added.

Venkatesh struck six fours and three sixes during his 70-run knock and was the last player to be dismissed. He added 83 runs for the sixth wicket with Pandey (42 off 31) after KKR were reduced to 57/5.

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"When Piyush Chawla dismissed Rinku Singh, it seemed like KKR were stuck" - Aakash Chopra on Mumbai Indians' bowling

Piyush Chawla took an easy return catch to dismiss Rinku Singh. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Speaking about the Mumbai Indians' bowling, Aakash Chopra noted that Nuwan Thushara's early strikes and Piyush Chawla's dismissal of Rinku Singh gave them the upper hand initially.

"Nuwan Thushara gave MI an excellent start. He bowled incredibly well. He dismissed Phil Salt, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Shreyas Iyer. He didn't allow anyone to score runs at the start. Then when Piyush Chawla dismissed Rinku Singh, it seemed like KKR were stuck," he observed (1:20).

The cricketer-turned-commentator also praised Jasprit Bumrah for his lethal yorkers at the death and Hardik Pandya for bowling a decent spell.

"Hardik Pandya, barring that one over in which he conceded 20 runs, bowled well. He picked up two wickets. If it was Nuwan Thushara with the new ball, it was Jasprit Bumrah's amazing yorkers with the old ball. He hit Mitchell Starc's stumps and then Venkatesh Iyer's stumps. He picked up three wickets. That was absolutely stellar," Chopra elaborated (3:05).

Bumrah (3/18) and Thushara (3/42) were MI's most successful bowlers. While Pandya finished with figures of 2/44 in four overs, Chawla picked up Rinku's wicket and conceded only 15 runs in his three overs. However, their efforts went in vain as KKR reached a fighting total and eventually won the game.