Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has underlined the tactic to contain the threat of Chris Gayle. Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals will lock horns in Abu Dhabi on Friday in a b+id to keep their winning run going. Aakash Chopra believes that Rajasthan Royals need to bring in paceman Jofra Archer to counter the threat of swashbuckling opening batsman Chris Gayle.
Jofra Archer has been carrying the bowling department of Rajasthan Royals on his shoulders, often striking with the new ball for them. Archer has 17 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 18.62 and maintaining an economy rate of 6.71. On the other hand, since Chris Gayle’s arrival, Kings XI Punjab has not lost a single game in IPL 2020. Gayle has been in supreme form, accounting for two half-centuries in five fixtures while also crafting few useful cameos.
According to Aakash Chopra, Rajasthan Royals will require multiple plans in their armoury to counter Chris Gayle since he is unstoppable once he gets going. Hence, Jofra Archer needs to come on since the England speedster could pose those challenges against the Jamaican and pushing him out of the comfort zone. The move to bring Jofra Archer when Chris Gayle bats is only plan number one.
“They will have to figure out a game plan to stop Gayle and say, and not just one, they might need a couple of them because when he gets going, of course, he’s a tornado, who just blows away the opposition. So, I would say you do have Jofra Archer and he’s got pace, bowl bouncers, bowl yorkers, just bowl those wicket-taking balls to Christopher Henry Gayle and play with his ego a little bit – just ask those tough questions, make him get out of his comfort zone and that’s your game plan number one, that’s what Jofra Archer should do,” Chopra stated in the Star Sports’ show Game Plan.
Aakash Chopra advises the leg-spinners to go from the other end:
“But you don’t really have another fast-bowler of the same repute or pace, so I would say Jofra from one end and if you can get your leggies to come and bowl wide to him. If you are bowling to him within the stumps, he’s going to dispatch and deposit them outside the ground with a lot of ease, just make them bowl outside off and a lot of googlies, even if it becomes predictable. Just keep bowling googlies outside off and force him to go over covers and long-off,” he added.
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