Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra questioned the viability of the Rajasthan Royals’ batting lineup in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). “I am thinking that once they decided to go with an all-Indian batting lineup, in which Samson was the most experienced and the oldest, with Shimron Hetmyer lower down the order – the only overseas batting option – is that even a viable option?” Aakash Chopra said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. Chopra also highlighted the importance of seniors in the team, citing Jos Buttler, who played the role of senior batter until last year for RR. Rajasthan released him ahead of IPL 2025.
“We say it’s a young man’s game, fine but if you put all of them together – they’re all talented, they’re all skilful – but there’s not a senior stateman in the side, something that Jos Buttler used to do till last year, is that even a viable option? Even in the Indian T20 team, you still need a Suryakumar Yadav to handle whoever else is around him, before and after him. Hardik Pandya comes in and gives you some stability,” said Chopra.
Chopra reflected on the unpredictable nature of RR’s performance, illustrating the contrasting outcomes possible with young players like Vaibhav Suryavanshi and the absence of a senior player to provide stability.
“This kind of performance almost represents what the youth can give you on a day when everything goes wrong. Of course, what Vaibhav Suryavanshi will give you is also what youth can give you one day. Still, two very drastically opposite ends of performances can happen with this team, and you do not have a senior guy to hold it together,” he added.
RR skipper Sanju Samson has not been part of Rajasthan’s team since his injury while batting in the clash against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday, April 16. While he is out, Riyan Parag is leading the team. Sanju is the most experienced batter in the RR batting lineup.
RR had a season to forget as they crashed out of the final four race with a 100-run loss to Mumbai Indians (MI) at Jaipur on Thursday.
Before the season, their move not to retain Buttler and move ahead with an Indian core of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, skipper Sanju Samson, and Dhruv Jurel in batting was questioned by fans and critics alike, and with each dismal batting performance, it is safe to say Buttler’s absence as a senior batter on the top and reliance on Shimron Hetmyer as a sole overseas batter and finisher adversely affected RR’s campaign.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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