Former opener and cricket expert Aakash Chopra has put forward some advice for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Ahead of their much-awaited clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Chopra has asked the management not to put two particular batters to bat together.
The resumption of the IPL 2025 will see RCB host KKR at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. However, standing on the verge of elimination, it is a make-or-break match for the visitors, who need a win to keep their campaign afloat. Meanwhile, RCB will get a ‘Q’ against their name if they win in front of a packed M Chinnaswamy crowd, who may get rain threats, unfortunately.
Rahane & Raghuvanshi shouldn’t bat together: Chopra
Speaking on his Youtube channel, former KKR opener Aakash Chopra previewed the RCB vs KKR game. In the video, the cricket-turned-commentator mentioned that KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane should manage to avoid a situation where he bats alongside Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Well, Chopra didn’t mention a reason for it.
However, one plausible reason could be the fact that both Rahane and Raghuvanshi are traditional batters and are not certain power-hitters. With both being righties, Chopra would like to get the right-left combination going as well.
“In batting, figure out a way for Rahane and Raghuvanshi not to bat together. They will have to sort out the batting order and determine Russell and Rinku’s entry point slightly early so that they make an impact on the match,” said Chopra while speaking on his YouTube channel.
Fascinatingly, the Rahane-Raghuvanshi dilemma may not be as bad for KKR. While Raghuvanshi is an excellent young batting talent who plays spin really well, Rahane can take a toll on the pacers when needed. This season, the duo have batted six times and have made 209 runs. Interestingly, the two have operated a strike rate of 150.1, which is decently well, unlike what Chopra advises.
Additionally, Chopra also wants KKR not to accommodate a spinner in place of Moeen Ali, who’s out of the IPL 2025. Anukul Roy is touted to replace him in the XI, having previously done well for KKR. However, Chopra reasoned that the Chinnaswamy surface would help the pacers more. Hence, the defending champions should think about adding another pace options, possible a Spencer Johnson.
“You will need one more fast bowler. You can think about Anukul Roy because left-arm spin works against these opposition batters, but I would say don’t think about him. Get another fast bowler because there might be slight help for the fast bowlers on the Chinnaswamy pitch that has been under covers for a long time, and the bounce is also slightly spongy these days.”
The post Aakash Chopra asks KKR not to put Ajinkya Rahane bat with this batter vs RCB appeared first on Inside Sport India.