Former Indian batsman and commentator Aakash Chopra gave a bold warning to Rajasthan Royals ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026 starting from March 28. He feels that Rajasthan Royals may have built an exciting team, but enthusiasm alone cannot win a long tournament like the IPL.
The Royals will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 30 in Guwahati. They have not won a trophy since their breakthrough in the 2008 season and have reached the finals only a few times under several influential leaders.
Aakash Chopra warns Rajasthan Royals before PL 2026
Now, with the new season around the corner, Chopra admitted that the current RR team has talent but lacks experience, especially in the batting order. RR have young, fearless hitters, but when the pressure gets too high, an inexperienced batting unit can collapse, and Chopra warned about that risk.
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Rajasthan Royals took a big decision by trading Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings before the season. With that move, they lost one of their most experienced batsmen and a captain who had led the team for years. Now the burden has shifted to a much smaller group.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is the biggest name at the top, but he is still young. Vaibhav Suryavanshi has offensive talent, but he is still very new.
Dhruv Jurel is still unproven in IPL: Aakash Chopra on Rajasthan Royals’ issues
Then there is Dhruv Jurel, who was retained by the franchise for ₹14 crore and got a lot of support. But Chopra was not so confident about his strengths, saying that the young wicketkeeper is yet to truly prove himself in the IPL.
“You can call it weaknesses or challenges. The batting lineup is extremely young. Yashasvi Jaiswal is experienced, but he is still young. Vaibhav Suryavanshi is hitting a lot, but he is a young kid. Dhruv Jurel has immense potential, but he is still unproven in the IPL as he has not scored runs there,” Aakash Chopra said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
Aakash Chopra expressed great concern over the batting of Rajasthan Royals
Meanwhile, the cricket pundit admitted that Riyan Parag has shown promise, but he is still not a fully established international star. He also feels sorry for Shimron Hetmyer as he brings power and experience, but RR will not be able to use him in his best batting position.
Chopra further explained, “Ryan Parag has shown a lot of promise and ability, but he is not an established international star. Shimron Hetmyer is definitely there, but the number at which he batted for the West Indies is not available. No matter what you do, you will not be able to play him there. Donovan Ferreira has limited international experience.”
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He explained how RR’s batting lineup is a big challenge for them in the upcoming IPL 2026. “When I look at the top six, there is a lot of potential, but international experience is very limited, except for Shimron Hetmyer, who may not be able to produce the numbers he has been successful at. So it is a bit of a challenge,” the cricket pundit told PTI.
RR’s spin department looks weak
The former Indian cricketer also named the spin attack as another weak area for Rajasthan Royals. He said that the Royals have two strong spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Bishnoi, but their form is worrying.
In IPL 2025, Bishnoi took only 9 wickets in 11 innings and gave away runs at an economy of 10.83. This is a worrying sign for a frontline spinner.
On the other hand, Jadeja’s wicket-taking form has declined in T20 cricket and Chopra said he has not been as effective in the last two seasons.
He signed off by saying, “So, you definitely have two good spinners, but their current form is not their friend. You can look at it as a challenge.”
