Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra praised Sakib Hussain after SRH registered a five-wicket win against CSK at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Monday. Hussain returned with impressive figures of 2-34 in his quota of four overs.
Hussain clean bowled Urvil Patel and Shivam Dube as he was right on the money. Thus, he played an instrumental role in restricting CSK to 180.
The youngster has impressed one and all with his bowling in the ongoing IPL 2026, taking 14 wickets in nine matches at an average of 22.42 and an economy rate of 9.23.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “Sakib Hussain, how well he is bowling. The Gopalganj Express has a quick-arm action, and he comes and bowls a slower one. The specialty of his slower one is that he doesn’t bowl it full, and it doesn’t dip. It’s not Lungi Ngidi, Dwayne Bravo, or Jasprit Bumrah. He bowls it far and breaks his wrist so strongly that the ball gets stuck and turns after pitching,” he said.
Chopra said Hussain got the big wickets of Urvil Patel and Shivam Dube for SRH.
“The problem with off-spin variation is that it comes in the arc if it falls too far away. It doesn’t happen with him. His one goes slow after pitching and turns. He dismissed two guys like that. He dismissed Shivam Dube, and Urvil Patel before that. Dismissing Urvil Patel was critical,” he observed.
The former Delhi cricketer praised Ehsan Malinga and Pat Cummins for their impressive spells. While Cummins bagged 3-28, Malinga returned with figures of 1-26 in his four overs.
“Eshan Malinga was brilliant. Pat Cummins – Urvil Patel hit him for two sixes in his first over, but he bowled 15 dot balls despite that. No one does captaincy better than him,” he said.
The renowned commentator rated Pat Cummins as the best captain of IPL 2026.
“If we have a war among the 10 captains and see who is the best, it has to be Pat Cummins. No one is doing captaincy better than him, the way he rotates his bowlers, and the way he gets the overs through, and comes to bowl himself. I think he reads the game better than anybody else,” Chopra observed.
Sunrisers Hyderabad were able to qualify for the playoffs with this win over CSK.
