"What has happened to you?" - Aakash Chopra to Yashasvi Jaiswal ahead of Rajasthan Royals' IPL 2024 clash vs Punjab Kings
Aakash Chopra has noted that Yashasvi Jaiswal hasn't lived up to expectations heading into the Rajasthan Royals' (RR) IPL 2024 clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).
The two sides will square off in Mullanpur on Saturday, April 13. Jaiswal has aggregated only 63 runs at a dismal average of 12.60 in five innings in the ongoing edition of the IPL and will want to return to run-scoring ways at the earliest.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said that he won't pick Jaiswal among the Rajasthan Royals players to watch out for in Saturday's game.
"Yashasvi is not scoring runs at all. (Jos) Buttler, Sanju (Samson) and Riyan Parag's bats are firing, Riyan Parag and Sanju Samson hit a lot in the last match, but Yashasvi - what has happened to you? I will not focus on Yashasvi. I focus on him in every match and he doesn't score runs," he reasoned (6:35).
The former India opener chose Jos Buttler as the first RR player in focus against PBKS.
"I am focusing on Jos Buttler because if he fires against the new ball and neutralizes Arshdeep (Singh) and (Kagiso) Rabada's threat, he can actually be the game-changer. So I am going with Jos Buttler as the first player. He played very well in one knock, scored a hundred in his 100th game, but he too hasn't done anything apart from that," Chopra elaborated.
Buttler has amassed 143 runs at a strike rate of 131.19 in five innings. However, apart from his unbeaten 100 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the England skipper has aggregated only 43 runs in his other four knocks.
"He is batting so well and luck is also favoring him nowadays" - Aakash Chopra on Rajasthan Royals' Riyan Parag
![Riyan Parag is RR's top run-getter in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/04/8adf4-17129890205799-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra named Riyan Parag as the second Rajasthan Royals player to watch out for.
"The second player I am going with is Riyan Parag because he is Riyan Parag. He is batting so well and luck is also favoring him nowadays. He could have gotten out to Rashid Khan but didn't. So I am going to focus on Riyan Parag," he said (7:20).
The renowned commentator is also eager to watch Trent Boult in action with the ball.
"The third player, I am thinking that I should go with a fast bowler - Trent Boult because the ball will swing a little in Mullanpur. When it swings, spin will have a lesser role, then you will want your faster bowlers to come to the fore. They have many now - Trent Boult, Nandre Burger, Avesh Khan, and Kuldeep Sen," Chopra explained.
Chopra expects the Rajasthan Royals to field a pace-heavy bowling unit in Mullanpur and doesn't see Keshav Maharaj being a part of their attack. While acknowledging that the visitors are the better unit, he chose the Punjab Kings as the likely winners in Saturday's game.