Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, kicked off on March 31, after the 3rd match of the league, former Indian cricketer, Aakash Chopra highly praised Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowler, Mark Wood for his first 5 wicket haul in IPL. LSG won their opening game against Delhi Capitals by 50 runs.
England’s speedster Wood was playing his second game in a cash-rich league, in 2018 he debuted in IPL for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) but played only one game in the season. While in the last game of LSG, Mark registered a figure of 5/14 in his four overs.
Aakash Chopra thinks Mark Wood will remain in the purple cap race-
“Mark my words – till the time Mark Wood plays, he will remain in the Purple Cap race of this tournament. He might not play the entire tournament, but until he plays, he will set the stage on fire,”
“Mark Wood was absolutely unplayable. He picked up a five-wicket haul. He made them run away by threatening and scaring them. He might emerge as the best fast bowler of this tournament because of the way he bowled,” said Ex Indian Test opener on his YouTube channel.
??????? ????? ????! ?@MAWood33 gets two in two with his fiery pace ??
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/086EqX92dA #TATAIPL#TATAIPL | #LSGvDC | @LucknowIPL pic.twitter.com/wuCshhzfMo
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 1, 2023
With Ashes season coming in for the English cricket team, it is highly anticipated that Wood will not play the full season, whereas, in the game, KL Rahul-led LSG batted first and scored 193 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs, while in the chase Delhi Capitals remained 50 runs short and crumbled for 143 runs with the loss of 9 wickets in 20 overs. The 33-year LSG pacer was awarded player of the match for his five-wicket haul.
“It is generally said that T20 cricket is not that much for the bowlers but he was on fire – the way he dismissed Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh and Sarfaraz Khan. Then he came later to bowl the 20th over and picked up two more wickets. He was absolutely sensational,” he further added.
Surely it was Wood’s night at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, while in the doubleheader games on April 2 in IPL 2023, Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Rajasthan Royals at Hyderabad in the first game, in the evening Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) knocks off with Mumbai Indian at Bengaluru.