Former Indian cricket team opener Aakash Chopra believes that Rashid Khan was the most valuable player on Friday despite Suryakumar Yadav slamming his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) century during the match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans. Rashid scored a brilliant half-century and took four wickets but his achievements were overshadowed by Suryakumar's innings which proved to be the match-winning knock for MI. Chopra said that although Rashid was not able to win the game for his side, his performance deserved to be deemed the Man of the Match.
"The most valuable player of the match in my humble opinion, is not Suryakumar Yadav. The most valuable player is Rashid Khan. If he had gotten a little help from someone else, if they were not 55/5, Rashid Khan would have single-handedly won them the match," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Chopra also praised Rashid for his bowling prowess and his show against the MI batters.
"218 runs were scored, and in that, he picked up four wickets, which included the wickets of both openers, then Nehal Wadhera's wicket and Tim David's wicket later. What more can anyone do?"
Invited to bat, MI posted 218 for 5 on the back of world number one T20 batter Suryakumar's 103 not out off just 49 balls and then restricted GT to 191 for 8 to notch up their seventh win this season.
This was MI's fourth consecutive 200-plus score on their home ground.
While Suryakumar played a blinder of an innings which was studded with 11 fours and six sixes, Rohit Sharma (29), Ishan Kishan (31) and Vishnu Vinod (30) chipped in for the home side.
Chasing 219, GT were in danger of being bowled out for a low total, but a brutal unbeaten 79 off just 32 balls from Rashid -- which had three fours and 10 sixes -- reduced the margin of the defeat drastically.
For Mumbai, Akash Madhwal (4-0-31-3), Kumar Kartikeya (3-0-37-2) and veteran Piyush Chawla (4-0-36-2) produced a superb show with the ball.
But the indomitable Rashid was simply unstoppable. He followed his superb bowling effort of 4/30 during the MI innings with a stunning show with the bat as he added 88 runs from just 40 balls for the unconquered ninth wicket with Alzarri Joseph (7 not out), but his effort was just not enough.
(With PTI inputs)