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Cricket Players'If they don't have players, what can they do': Aakash Chopra on Rajasthan Royals' big hurdle in IPL 2021
IPL 2021: Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that in the absence of key players, RR have to change their approach.
First, the news came out that fast bowler Jofra Archer will not be joining the Rajasthan Royals camp for the first few games in the Indian Premier League 2021 as he has to undergo finger surgery. Two games into the season, RR star player Ben Stokes was also ruled out due to a hand injury. He had to fly back home.
Earlier this week, RR batsman Liam Livingstone cited "bubble fatigue" and also flew back to the UK. To make things worse, news came out that Archer would not be playing in the IPL 2021 at all, and RR would have to spend the season without him.
Also read: Kolkata Knight Riders hope to revive IPL 2021 campaign against beleaguered Rajasthan Royals
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that in the absence of key players this season, RR have to change their approach.
"The Rajasthan Royals have more problems because they don't have the players. If they don't have the players, what can they do, they can only change the approach," he said in a video uploaded on his Youtube channel, ahead of RR's clash with KKR.
"The Rajasthan Royals' fortunes will not change with personnel changes. Things can change if the batsmen become more consistent else I see this team struggling a lot," Chopra added.
"They will ask Jos to please score the runs this time because things are not happening for them otherwise.
"Sanju Samson will have to score runs because you have an average of 70 and strike rate of 150 in the first three matches for the last three years but from the fourth match onwards the average dips to 22 and the strike rate becomes 130. This cannot continue to happen year after year," Chopra added.
"David Miller needs to score runs. Riyan Parag is playing all the matches and the youngster will have to grow now. Rahul Tewatia will have to contribute. Shivam Dube should play how he did and make it even bigger," he further said.
"They can make just one change, they can bring Yashasvi Jaiswal for Manan Vohra. They can also bring Jaydev Unadkat for Shreyas Gopal but that's about it," he signed off.
