IPL 2023: Aakash Chopra Opines on Rajasthan Royals’ Playoff Hopes

Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra reckons that the Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) win against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) will not be enough for them to seal their place in the IPL 2023 playoffs. However, PBKS set RR a 188-run target after being asked to bat first in Dharamsala on Friday, May 19 as well. RR chased down the target with four wickets and two deliveries in hand to keep their slight hopes of playoffs alive.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra opined that the Rajasthan Royals might have drawn level with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI) on points but they will be knocked out of the tournament at the end of the league phase as well, stating:

“Rajasthan have won the match, they have also reached 14 points, they can mathematically qualify as well, but will math work in their favor? If they had completed the run chase in 18.3 overs, their net run rate would have gone above Bangalore, but what difference does NRR make to RR? I feel only math has kept them back, that they will print their boarding passes later, but I feel everyone will go home on Monday. Rajasthan won but they have only won.”

IPL 2023: Rajasthan Royals have a not-so-good tournament this season

However, Rajasthan Royals need MI and RCB to lose their respective final games to stand a chance of qualifying for the playoffs. RR (0.15) have a marginally inferior net run rate to RCB (0.18) and a narrow defeat for RCB on Sunday might be enough for them to make it through to the playoffs as well. And, Aakash Chopra stated that big-ticket players like Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson have let the Rajasthan Royals down with their poor forms. He also named Yashasvi Jaiswal as the only bright spot for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2023, stating:

“Buttler has five ducks this year, he had four centuries last year. Sanju Samson started like a rocket again and then crashlanded completely. He hasn’t scored runs in the important matches in the end. That just defines their season if big players are not scoring runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal – the only shining star, the bright star. He is now officially the uncapped player to score the most runs in a season in this tournament’s history. He will not get to play a single match after this but he has done well,” Aakash Chopra concluded.

However, Jaiswal has scored 625 runs at a stunning strike rate of 163.61 in 14 innings in IPL 2023. He surpassed Shaun Marsh’s tally of 616 runs to become the highest-scoring uncapped player in an IPL season as well.