Aakash Chopra, the former Kolkata Knight Riders player, has shared his thoughts on the team’s acquisition of Jason Roy, and it’s not all positive. Chopra expressed doubts about the England opener’s ability to deliver for KKR in the upcoming IPL 2023 tournament. Although Roy has shown glimpses of brilliance in the past, his recent form has been inconsistent, leading Chopra to question his reliability. Chopra did acknowledge that Roy’s hard-hitting style of play could be an asset on the Kolkata pitch, but he also noted that Roy has refused to play in the past when his name was included in Gujarat’s squad.
While previewing KKR’s clash against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chopra acknowledged that Roy is a destructive player who could excel at the Eden Gardens, but expressed skepticism about his recent form. Chopra highlighted that Roy’s performances in the SA20 were inconsistent, with the opener scoring just 171 runs in 11 innings. However, he also noted that Roy has been in excellent form recently, with a century against Bangladesh and an unbeaten 145 in the Pakistan Super League.
The Kolkata Knight Riders have been hit hard by injuries, including the absence of Shreyas Iyer. They acquired Roy as a replacement for Shakib Al Hasan, and while he has been in excellent form lately, his poor performances in the recent South Africa 20-20 tournament raise some concerns. Chopra also criticized KKR’s batting order in their recent loss against Punjab Kings, calling it “strange.” However, he remains optimistic about the team’s chances, stating that Andre Russell needs to fire with the bat if they are to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Chopra also criticized KKR’s batting order in their previous game against the Punjab Kings, describing it as “beyond understanding.” He emphasized the need for Andre Russell to fire with the bat for KKR to defeat RCB, suggesting that a 70 or 80-run knock from the all-rounder could prove decisive. However, Chopra was impressed with the performance of KKR’s bowlers in the previous game, singling out Varun Chakaravarthy and Umesh Yadav for their economical spells and Tim Southee for taking wickets.
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Overall, Chopra’s comments suggest that while KKR’s acquisition of Roy may add firepower to their batting, his recent inconsistency may pose a risk to the team’s chances in the tournament. With the tournament set to kick off on April 6th, it will be interesting to see how the team performs and whether Roy can live up to expectations.