IPL 2020: Aakash Chopra picks Rajasthan Royals' ideal playing XI

The much-awaited IPL 2020 is just around the corner, with the season-opener between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings scheduled to start on September 19th in Abu Dhabi. Before the commencement of the T20 extravaganza, cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has been building the strongest possible Playing XI of all franchises.

Chopra recently picked the Playing XI for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) before the cash-rich league unfolds in the UAE. Chopra, on his Facebook page, picked the RR line-up and also mentioned that they are likely to do well despite not looking like a title-winning side.

Chopra picked Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the opening combination, followed by Kerala stalwart Sanju Samson. “At No.1, I have kept Jos Buttler. With him, I have kept left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal. I feel this player will earn a lot of name. Robin Uthappa could have also been here, but I want to play Yashasvi because he is a very good player and deserves a chance.

At No.3, I have Sanju Samson in my team. He is a very talented player and if you have any doubt you can ask Gautam Gambhir as well,” said Chopra.

Smith will do well in UAE because he plays spin well: Aakash Chopra

At the No.4 spot, Chopra named skipper Steve Smith due to his tactical brilliance and strong temperament. Following Smith, Chopra slotted prolific modern-day all-rounder Ben Stokes at No.5 position. The charismatic hasn’t yet delivered a memorable performance for the Royals but his match-winning abilities can’t be brushed aside.

“At No.4, I have got the captain Steve Smith. He will do well in the UAE because he plays spin well. At No.5, I have Ben Stokes. He has had a brilliant last 18 months. People call him Superman who can do everything but he has done nothing like that for Rajasthan Royals,” Chopra further said.

Chopra opted for Robin Uthappa at the No. 6 spot while pointing out that he could not go for David Miller due to the overseas player restrictions. At No.7, Chopra decided to go with ‘talented’ all-rounder Riyan Parag. For the specialist leg-spinner in his ideal Rajasthan Royals playing XI, Chopra picked Shreyas Gopal due to his impressive performances in the last couple of IPL editions.

For the two primary seamers, Chopra picked Jaydev Unadkat and Jofra Archer, tagging the latter to lead the Royals’ bowling pack. For the final spot, Chopra opined that Royals could either go with Ankit Rajpoot or Kartik Tyagi to complete their Playing XI.

“At No.9, I have got Jaydev Unadkat and at No.10, I have got Jofra Archer, who will be the leader of the bowling pack. Last but not the least, at No.11 you can play Ankit Rajpoot or Kartik Tyagi,” concluded Chopra.

Aakash Chopra’s ideal Rajasthan Royals playing XI: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Steve Smith (c), Ben Stokes, Robin Uthappa, Riyan Parag, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Jofra Archer, Ankit Rajpoot/Kartik Tyagi.