"Sanju Samson hasn't scored runs at all" - Aakash Chopra on Rajasthan Royals' issues after IPL 2023 loss to MI

Aakash Chopra has picked Sanju Samson's poor returns with the bat as one of the Rajasthan Royals' (RR) concerns after their IPL 2023 loss to the Mumbai Indians (MI).

Samson scored just 14 runs off 10 deliveries as RR set a mammoth 213-run target for MI in Mumbai on Sunday, April 30. The home team chased down the target with six wickets and three deliveries to spare to stop the Royals from climbing atop the IPL 2023 points table.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra named Yashasvi Jaiswal (124 off 62) as the most valuable player of the match. On the flip side, he was concerned about Jos Buttler and Samson's waning returns for the Rajasthan Royals, saying:

"Rajasthan is facing another trouble. Jos Buttler is not firing, as he usually does, this year. The start was very good but he has gone slightly down. Sanju Samson hasn't scored runs at all."

The former Indian opener acknowledged that the Rajasthan Royals have a formidable batting lineup. However, he pointed out that their two most accomplished batters are not firing, observing:

"So as good a team as they are, because they have (Shimron) Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel and Devdutt Padikkal as well, the team is good, but two main players not scoring runs, that's a problem."

Buttler scored a 19-ball 18 against MI and didn't look too comfortable in the middle. England's limited-overs skipper has crossed the 30-run mark only once in his last five innings. Samson, meanwhile, has scored more than 25 runs just once in his last seven innings.

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"You don't do that in Mumbai" - Aakash Chopra on Rajasthan Royals opting to bat first

Sanju Samson opted to bat first after winning the toss. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra also questioned Sanju Samson's decision to set a target at Wankhede, reasoning:

"It was amazing that Rajasthan chose to bat after winning the toss. You don't do that in Mumbai. You want to chase in Mumbai because dew comes later and it is a chase-friendly ground, although Punjab won while batting first in the last game, but they didn't win the toss."

The reputed commentator pointed out that the ground was extremely wet in the second innings, stating:

"They (Punjab Kings) scored 200 runs and probably that much dew didn't come on that day. In yesterday evening's match, there was so much dew that, when I asked Parthiv Patel who was there, he said that it was like a river was flowing."

Chopra added that Yuzvendra Chahal couldn't be used properly because the Rajasthan Royals opted to bowl second, elaborating:

"Then you will get stuck as Yuzi (Yuzvendra Chahal) will not be able to bowl his full overs, and it is now two consecutive games where Yuzi hasn't bowled his full overs."

Chahal went wicketless and conceded 32 runs in the three overs he bowled. Ravichandran Ashwin (2/27) was the Rajasthan Royals' most successful bowler but he completed his quota by the 11th over of the Mumbai Indians innings.