The IPL 2021 auction will take place in Chennai on Feb 18.
Aakash Chopra feels that Glenn Maxwell isn't the player that Rajasthan Royals would fancy in the upcoming edition of the Indian premier league (IPL) and opined that England's Dawid Malan will be a good fit for the franchise.
With less than one month remaining for IPL 2021 auction, all franchises including the champions of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the 2008 edition, Rajasthan Royals (RR) have already come out with their list of retained and released players and surprised many by releasing out skipper Steve Smith ahead of the IPL 2021 auction.
However, with Steve Smith being released, Sanju Samson has been appointed as the new skipper of the Rajasthan based franchise. But the franchise will have to fill the spot left by Smith, in the upcoming IPL 2021 auction.
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Scrutinizing the Royals' options ahead of next month's auction, former India opener Aakash Chopra opined on the current squad and the sort of players the franchise needs to strengthen its roster ahead of the 14th edition of the league.
"They need overseas batsmen because they have Buttler, Stokes, and Miller. They have three but quite a few times they might have to play all three because they don't have Smith. So, they would need at least one batsman as backup and you might want to play someone ahead of Miller," Aakash Chopra said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
Aakash Chopra further analyzed RR's batting order and said he doubts that the franchise would look towards Glenn Maxwell.
“If I make their team, they have Yashasvi Jaiswal and Buttler as openers, Samson at No.3, Stokes at No.4, Riyan Parag/Manan Vohra at No.6. So, I need an overseas player at No.5. Tewatia comes at No.7 and then it looks alright.
So their batting will remain a little overseas dominated. I doubt they will look towards Glenn Maxwell. This is not the team who will look towards Maxwell,” he said.
Aakash Chopra, 43, feels that Royals will not bid for Steve Smith again and said that Dawid Malan could be a good fit.
"It is also certain that they will not take Smith back because why would you leave him otherwise. They could go for Dawid Malan, the left-handed top-order batsman. They could look towards Roy or Finch. So, they might want to take one out of these three," said Aakash Chopra.
Cricket turned commentator further slammed Rajasthan based franchise for letting go off Ajinkya Rahane and said that franchise would need Indian batsman in the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League.
"They need Indian batsmen in my opinion because they don't want to play three overseas batsmen, which is not ideal any which way. I don't know who that guy is, could be Gurkeerat Mann. Why did you let Rahane go? You should have kept him, he would be of use to you now," he concluded.
IPL 2021 player auction is set to take place in Chennai on February 18.
(Times Now inputs)