IPL 2021: "RCB beware" - Aakash Chopra feels the Rajasthan Royals can be the party poopers

Aakash Chopra has predicted that the Rajasthan Royals (RR) are unlikely to make the IPL 2021 playoffs. However, he reckons they could spoil the party of other franchises like the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

The Rajasthan Royals are currently placed fifth in the IPL 2021 points table, with six points to their credit. RCB, on the other hand, are rather comfortably placed at the third spot, with ten points in their kitty.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra painted a gloomy picture for the Rajasthan Royals but warned the other franchises that they could knock them out of the playoff race. He elaborated:

"I think the Rajasthan Royals will remain in the bottom half, they might not qualify. If they don't qualify, they will be the party poopers, they will spoil some people's party. RCB beware because if there are chances of some team's party getting spoiled, one Royal can do to the other."

The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that the Rajasthan Royals will miss the services of some of their most accomplished overseas players. Chopra explained:

"The problem for the Rajasthan Royals is that there have been too many changes. Your main players have all gone - you don't have Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler, who had scored a century."

While Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer have been ruled out due to mental health and injury concerns, Jos Buttler has opted out of the remainder of IPL 2021.

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"The Rajasthan Royals are not the same team" - Aakash Chopra

The Rajasthan Royals will rely a lot on Sanju Samson [P/C: iplt20.com]

While acknowledging that the Rajasthan Royals have few in-form overseas players, Aakash Chopra feels Sanju Samson will have to rise to the occasion. He observed:

"You have signed new players like Evin Lewis and Oshane Thomas, and Liam Livingstone is available. You have made the signings, you have got players but it's not the same team, the team looks slightly different. It will be extremely necessary for Sanju Samson to bat well."

The former India opener signed off by stating that the Rajasthan Royals can overcome their shortcomings if they gel together as a unit. Chopra said:

"It will not be easy, you have changed your team totally after the halfway stage. There is no replacement for Jofra Archer in the entire world, how will you get it. There are a lot of problems but this team has shown that if you combine the five fingers, it becomes a fist."

The Rajasthan Royals do not have too much depth in their Indian lineup as well. Youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Kartik Tyagi and Chetan Sakariya will have to raise their game for them to qualify for the playoffs.