Former India player turned commentator Aakash Chopra has said that the Rajasthan Royals (RR) have been slightly overdependent on their top three batters heading into their IPL 2026 match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He also urged Riyan Parag and their other middle-order batters to score runs to address that issue.
However, RR will face LSG in Lucknow on Wednesday, April 22. The visitors have earned eight points from their first six games and they are placed fourth on the points table.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “RR is giving a slight GT-like feel at the moment, that they would do well if the top three do well, and that they won’t be able to do that well if things go awry there. So, you will have to set aside the GT syndrome.”
“Riyan Parag, score runs. The captaincy is going well thus far, but you need a knock of substance. So that is required of you. Shimron Hetmyer, again. Donovan Ferreira played one good knock. So you have to get the job done from all of them together,” he further added.
However, Aakash Chopra also added that the Rajasthan Royals have swapped between Tushar Deshpande and Brijesh Sharma in each of their games, and they played Yash Raj Punja as an additional spinner in their last match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
“They are flip-flopping a little between two bowlers. They play Tushar Deshpande at times, and Brijesh Sharma on other occasions. They played Yash Raj Punja in the last match. They are doing a lot of different, different things,” he said.
“I feel they will have to go back to pace again here. They might have to go in Sandeep Sharma and Tushar’s direction. Jofra Archer has taken first-ball wickets thrice. Maybe he can do that job here as well, because LSG’s life is in their top three or four. So if you clean them up, Nandre Burger is bowling beautifully, and if Jofra Archer does that, it will be thumbs up with both hands,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
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