Aakash Chopra picks Rajasthan Royals' probable playing XI for IPL 2024, reckons they might play 3 spinners in Jaipur

Aakash Chopra has picked the Rajasthan Royals' (RR) probable playing XI, plus the additional Impact Player option, for IPL 2024. He reckons the Jaipur-based franchise might field a spin-heavy lineup at their home ground.

The Royals, who were the runners-up in IPL 2022, finished fifth last season and will want to give a better account of themselves this year. While they traded in Avesh Khan ahead of the IPL 2024 auction, they acquired Rovman Powell, Shubham Dubey, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Abid Mushtaq and Nandre Burger at the auction.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra chose four Indians and three overseas players among the Rajasthan Royals' potential top seven.

"What can be their likely XI? Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and I am keeping Sanju Samson at No. 3. After that Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell," he said (4:30).

"If you want to go with just one overseas bowler, who could be either Trent Boult/Nandre Burger, you can play with Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer and Jos Buttler as your three overseas batters," the former India opener added.

Chopra expects Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, one among Kuldeep Sen, Navdeep Saini and Sandeep Sharma, and either Trent Boult or Nandre Burger to form the five-pronged attack.

"After that, two spinners - Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal. They have taken Avesh Khan, so he will be a part of this team. They have Kuldeep Sen, Navdeep Saini and Sandeep Sharma. So they have a lot of options," he observed.

However, Chopra feels the Royals might field an additional spinner in Adam Zampa in Jaipur. He added that RR might be the only team to include three proper spinners in their playing XI.

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"They will go hammer and tongs in batting" - Aakash Chopra on the Rajasthan Royals' potential strategy

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler are expected to open the batting for the Rajasthan Royals. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra expects the Rajasthan Royals batters to take the attack to the opposition bowlers.

"They will go hammer and tongs in batting. This is what I am thinking because Jos Buttler knows to bat in just one gear. You can say the same thing about Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson also plays like that," he reasoned (11:00).

"Rovman Powell/Shimron Hetmyer, or both of them - they also bat in one fashion. Dhruv Jurel met us on JioCinema. He said that he has gotten bored and wants to hit sixes. Riyan Parag is also an aggressive batter. So the Nos. 1 to 7 should be seen hitting sixes," the cricketer-turned-commentator added.

Dhruv Jurel (172.72), Yashasvi Jaiswal (163.61), Sanju Samson (153.38) and Shimron Hetmyer (152.28) scored their runs at strike rates of over 150 in IPL 2023. The Royals will hope that Jos Buttler, Riyan Parag and the newly acquired Rovman Powell are also at their destructive best this year.