Sunil Gavaskar calls Rajasthan Royals’ bowling decision ‘suicidal move’

Sunil Gavaskar criticised Rajasthan Royals for handing Donovan Ferreira the 18th over in a crucial IPL match, calling it a “suicidal move”. He also praised Mitchell Starc’s decisive spell, discussed Punjab Kings’ playoff hopes and doubted MS Dhoni’s return for CSK.

Hyderabad: “Handing the ball to Donovan Ferreira to bowl the 18th over was a suicidal move. You are bringing a slow bowler on a pitch offering him no help. He was just bowling in the slot. It was his first over of the match. He had also scored a golden duck with the bat,” JioStar expert Sunil Gavaskar said Star Sports’ ‘Amul Cricket Live’ show.

“Sometimes you must look at where the luck is going that day. If he had scored 40 or 50 runs and was high on confidence, giving him an over would have made sense. But he got out first ball, and you still gave him the ball. He went for 16 runs in that over, and the match was gone,” Gavaskar said.

---

“Done and dusted. Riyan Parag could have handed the ball to a proper bowler, a regular bowler. Even if that bowler gave away 20 runs, that’s not the point. The point is that at that crucial stage, giving the ball to Donovan Ferreira was a suicidal decision by Rajasthan Royals,” he said.

On Mitchell Starc’s three-wicket over, Gavaskar said: “It’s not just about how many wickets you take. It’s about when you take them. Wickets at key moments change the game. In the Powerplay, early wickets push the opposition on the back foot and stop them from getting a flying start. But if you fail to control the run-flow at the death, all that early effort goes to waste. Mitchell Starc didn’t have a great powerplay”

“. But when he came back at the death, he bowled with great control. He didn’t let the Rajasthan batters free their arms. He choked the runs and picked up crucial wickets. Those wickets turned the match in Delhi’s favour. Rajasthan looked set to cross 200 easily, but Starc had other plans. They paid the price for underestimating him. His three-wicket over pushed Rajasthan all the way back,” he said.

On PBKS’ qualification chances after loss to RCB, Gavaskar said: “I wouldn’t be surprised to see Punjab Kings make the playoffs because teams like Rajasthan Royals are doing their best not to qualify. They lost this game against Delhi from a winnable position and if Rajasthan keep losing from winning positions, then all Punjab need to do is win their next game.”

“ That would take them to 15 points, which might be enough. Yes, Sunrisers are ahead of Punjab, and CSK can still reach 14 or even 16 points. But if CSK lose one match, then Punjab have a very real chance of qualifying,” he said.

On the possibility of MS Dhoni returning for CSK’s crucial clash against SRH, Gavaskar said: “The match against SRH is a crucial one for CSK. It’s their last home game at Chepauk, so naturally fans want to see MS Dhoni play. But he hasn’t featured at all this season.”

“ In fact, he hasn’t played competitive cricket for over a year. So, I doubt he would want to take such a risk at this stage. You need players who have been match-fit and playing regularly for the last six weeks. Dhoni is a complete team-man. I don’t think he would want to disrupt the current combination. I would be very surprised if he plays against SRH. This is a must-win game for CSK. A victory keeps them alive in the playoff race. They have to win this match at all costs, and bringing in a player who hasn’t played in over a year could be a gamble,’ Gavaskar explained.