IPL 2023: Aakash Chopra Opines on the Difficulty in Choosing MVP for CSK-GT Final

Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has opined on the difficulty in choosing the most valuable player (MVP) for the IPL 2023 final as the best knock of the game came in a losing cause. Sai Sudharsan smashed 96 runs off 47 balls as the Gujarat Titans (GT) posted a huge total of 214/4 after being asked to bat first in Ahmedabad on Monday, May 29.

However, his knock went in vain as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) registered a five-wicket win via the DLS method off the very last ball as well. While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra added that it was tough to pick one MVP, especially because of the incredible knock played by Sudharsan. He added:

“Most valuable player – difficult choice. How do you pick one? It was the sort of match where you say this is right and that is also right or how you could not pick a particular guy. If I say Sai Sudharsan is not the player of the match, it will be an injustice. An uncapped Indian player scored 96 runs. It wasn’t a century but it was no less than that. If you see it from the viewpoint of an uncapped Indian, this is an incredible knock.”

While talking about the Gujarat Titans youngster playing a great knock, Chopra was not sure whether he should be the MVP. Sudharsan’s 96-run knock included eight fours and six sixes. He was unfortunate to miss out on his maiden IPL ton as Matheesha Pathirana trapped him in front of the wickets in the final over of the Gujarat Titans innings as well.

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“You didn’t play him matches every time but he shone whenever you played him at No. 3. You retired him out in the last match but he was hitting sixes one after the other in this match. But is he the most valuable player?”

Aakash Chopra said that a plethora of Chennai Super Kings batters played crucial knocks and he picked Ravindra Jadeja as his MVP. However, CSK required 10 runs off the final two deliveries. Jadeja smoked Mohit Sharma for a six and then clipped him for a boundary to help his team bag a record-equaling fifth IPL title.

“What about the small-small knocks, the knocks were small, but there you remember that life and innings should not be long but memorable and effective because none of the Chennai batters scored a half-century. I have no idea who should be the most valuable player. Shall we go with Sir Ravindra Jadeja? I can give it to both Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja but it is a final, we should pick one. I am going with Ravindra Jadeja for the simple reason that he picked up a wicket, it is not that he didn’t get hit, but 10 runs can’t be scored off the last two balls. This match was done and dusted,” Aakash Chopra concluded.