Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has made bold predictions about Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) retention strategy ahead of the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction.
The cricket expert has openly said that Riyal Parag does not deserve to be in the INR 18 crore bracket, so he should not be the Royals’ priority. Chopra has actually named the three players he believes Rajasthan Royals (RR) must retain to ensure their competitive edge and future in the IPL.
Aakash Chopra predicts Rajasthan Royals (RR) to retain Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction
He believes Rajasthan Royals (RR) should prioritize retaining Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal. England captain Buttler, captain-wicketkeeper Samson and young batting sensation Jaiswal are invaluable assets and the backbone of RR’s batting line-up.
They are expected to earn a significant salary, and the cricket pandit believes that they would earn between INR 14 crore and INR 15 crore. However, the challenge does not end with these three retentions, as RR faces difficult decisions regarding the retention of another key player, Parag.
However, Chopra raised eyebrows at the idea of retaining Parag for an excessive price of INR 18 crore, saying it may not be a smart investment for the Rajasthan Royals (RR). He opined that the Royals should use Right To Match for the Assam star.
Aakash Chopra Says Riyan Parag Doesn’t Deserve INR 18 Crores
Aakash Chopra said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel: “Your top three retentions should be Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal. You can decide one, two and three; There is really no difference, because if you leave out Yashasvi, Sanju or Jos Buttler, they will cost you between Rs 14 and 15 million.”
Chopra further explained, “All three are batsmen, including two Indians. Your first three are ready. You need to keep these three. After that, you will have slight problems. You will very much want to keep Riyan Parag. However, I will not agree to Riyan Parag for Rs 18 crore.”
Instead, the cricket expert proposed a more strategic approach, calling for the retention of Indian bowler Sandeep Sharma for a modest sum of Rs 4 million, which will provide the Rajasthan Royals (RR) with the necessary funds to strengthen further. your team for the upcoming IPL. 2025.
RR may use RTM cards for Riyan Parag and Yuzvendra Chahal: Aakash Chopra
However, Chopra suggested that Rajasthan Royals (RR) should use Right To Match (RTM) cards to secure both Riyan Parag and Yuzvendra Chahal. He added: “Sandeep Sharma is a limitless Indian. You can have it with you for four million rupees. Then you will be left with two Right To Match cards. You can use one for Riyan Parag and the second for Yuzi Chahal.”
Furthermore, the commentator has emphasized the potential of wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel, suggesting that he could be a game-changer for Rajasthan Royals (RR). Jurel did not get any further opportunities to show his full potential in IPL 2024, but his talent is irrefutable and Chopra believes that investing in the youngster could reap significant returns.
Chopra signed off by saying, “Then you will hope that you can also get Dhruv Jurel because I think Dhruv Jurel has a great future in this team. He’s a gun player. We haven’t seen the best of Jurel yet because he can’t hit. He hits very low in the batting order, but he is a player you want to invest in.”
