IPL 2024: "Rajasthan Royals' Bowling Resources Are Totally Ready" - Aakash Chopra

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra stated that the Rajasthan Royals acquired Avesh Khan to address their death-bowling concerns. Aakash Chopra noted that players like Jason Holder and Obed McCoy couldn’t effectively fulfill the required role in the last season.

Rajasthan Royals acquired Avesh Khan in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 mini-auction, trading him in exchange for Devdutt Padikkal from the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise. Avesh had been bought by LSG in the 2022 mega auction for Rs 10 crore.

The 27-year-old failed to make a significant impact for the LSG during the 2023 season, resulting in his release by the franchise. The right-arm pacer took 8 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 35.38 and a disappointing economy rate of 9.76 in the previous edition.

Jason Holder Wasn’t Able To Do That Job – Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra discussed the Rajasthan Royals’ strategic acquisition of Avesh Khan to address their previous fast-bowling issues. Chopra said that the Royals have quality pacers and spinners in their lineup for the IPL 2024.

“They had released Devdutt Padikkal and got Avesh Khan in place of him. So they tried to cover the fast-bowling problem at the death. They now have Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Sharma, Trent Boult and Avesh Khan,” Chopra said.

“Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Adam Zampa – so their bowling resources are totally ready. Jason Holder wasn’t able to do that job and Obed McCoy also couldn’t do it,” he added.

Jason Holder’s performance for RR was lackluster in the IPL 2023, securing just 4 wickets at an economy rate of 9.96 across 8 matches. Obed McCoy had a subpar outing, remaining wicketless and conceding 13 runs in the lone over he bowled during the previous season.

I Like Nandre Burger As A Bowler – Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra considers Nandre Burger a valuable addition, suggesting that he could step in for Trent Boult if required. Chopra expressed satisfaction with the Royals’ successful auction, highlighting their effective strategy despite working with a limited budget.

“On a given day, they can play Nandre Burger in place of Trent Boult if they want. I like Nandre Burger as a bowler. He bowls at a speed of 145-146 kph. He is a good bowler. They have taken Nandre Burger and two or three good Indian players,” Chopra further added.

“Overall, they went with a small purse to the auction. I feel Rajasthan had a good auction. They didn’t need too many things. They came away with first-choice players. At times, you aren’t able to get your first-choice players. Gujarat (Titans) is an example. Their (RR’s) auction strategy was quite robust.”

The Royals invested Rs 14.30 crore in acquiring five players during the auction. Nandre Burger was secured at his base price of Rs 50 lakh, while Rovman Powell (Rs 7.40 crore) and Shubham Dubey (Rs 5.80 crore) stood out as the team’s most significant expenses.