IPL 2025: Aakash Chopra Critiques Rajasthan Royals' Squad Balance
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Synopsis
Aakash Chopra raises alarms about Rajasthan Royals' squad balance for IPL 2025, critiquing their loss of key players and the lack of overseas batting signings. He questions the team's strategy and reliance on injured players ahead of the upcoming season.
Key Takeaways
- Aakash Chopra critiques the Rajasthan Royals' squad structure.
- The team lost key players, creating significant gaps.
- Focus on bowling improvements over batting signings.
- Dependence on injured players like Jofra Archer could be risky.
- Rajasthan Royals will start their IPL 2025 campaign on March 23.
New Delhi, March 18 (NationPress) Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has expressed his worries regarding the Rajasthan Royals' squad structure ahead of IPL 2025, questioning if the team has indeed weakened itself post the mega auction.
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted that RR’s choice to let go of pivotal players such as Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Ravichandran Ashwin has resulted in significant voids that have not been sufficiently addressed.
"They have lost four of their major players, yet the replacements do not come anywhere near their caliber. The batting lineup is almost entirely Indian, apart from Shimron Hetmyer. It’s quite surprising that no overseas batsman was selected," Chopra remarked.
The Rajasthan Royals retained Samson, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shimron Hetmyer before the auction. However, despite having a substantial budget, they failed to make any significant overseas batting signings.
Instead, the team focused on enhancing their bowling lineup, acquiring Jofra Archer (Rs 12.50 crore), Wanindu Hasaranga (Rs 5.25 crore), Maheesh Theekshana (Rs 4.40 crore), Fazalhaq Farooqi (Rs 2 crore), and young South African bowler Kwena Maphaka (Rs 1.50 crore).
However, Chopra noted that RR still lacks a top-tier all-rounder, a deficiency that plagued them last season as well. "Most successful teams have a robust all-rounder that offers flexibility in team configurations. Rajasthan struggled with this last year, and it appears they find themselves in the same situation again. Hasaranga is not truly an all-rounder at the IPL level. While he has performed well with the ball occasionally, he hasn’t delivered as a batsman," he stated.
Chopra also emphasized that RR's over-dependence on Jofra Archer in the pace department could be concerning, given the pacer's history with injuries. "Archer’s recent performance and injury history make him a risky choice. If he fails to deliver, Rajasthan might face serious challenges," he added.
The Rajasthan Royals are set to commence their IPL 2025 journey with an away match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 23 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
