"It's a shame if this team doesn't qualify for the playoffs this time as well" - Aakash Chopra on Rajasthan Royals' prospects heading into IPL 2024

Aakash Chopra reckons the Rajasthan Royals should at least qualify for the playoffs of IPL 2024 if they play to their potential.

The Royals, who were the runners-up in IPL 2022, finished fifth last season. They have bolstered their squad by trading in Avesh Khan from the Lucknow Super Giants and acquiring five other players, including Rovman Powell (₹7.40 crore) and Shubham Dubey (₹5.80 crore), at the auction.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was asked whether the Rajasthan Royals can lift the IPL 2024 trophy, considering they have two excellent openers in Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal and a spin-bowling attack comprising Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal.

"It is a good team, there is no doubt about that. That's why I feel it will be a highly competitive IPL. It's a shame if this team doesn't qualify for the playoffs this time as well," he responded (9:05).

The former India opener noted that Sanju Samson and Co. are a formidable unit.

"If you have Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and then if you have Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag is batting alright, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Trent Boult - of course all overseas won't be able to play - but they are a good team," Chopra observed.

The Royals were the inaugural IPL champions. They have qualified for the playoffs only four times after that, with the 2022 edition seeing their only other entry into the final.

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Aakash Chopra opines Impact player will help Rajasthan Royals fare better in IPL 2024

Dhruv Jurel could potentially be an Impact Player option for the Rajasthan Royals. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra opined that how effectively Rajasthan Royals use the Impact Player rule would define how far they go in IPL 2024.

"They have Avesh Khan as well. Is it a side that can lift the trophy? They can do that, it's a good team, but whether they would lift the trophy or not will depend on whether they will use the Impact Player or not," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator noted that the Jaipur-based franchise couldn't use the extra player properly last season.

"The last time they said they wouldn't use the Impact Player, that cricket used to be an 11-player game and they would play with 11 only, that they would play with six batters and five bowlers, neither would they have a sixth bowler nor a seventh batter," Chopra added.

RR might use Dhruv Jurel as a batting Impact Player this season. In the bowling department, either Prasidh Krishna or Yuzvendra Chahal could be the Impact Player, considering that neither is known for wielding the willow effectively.