"Hope Buttler is not moved out of top 3" - Aakash Chopra urges RR to have England batter in top-order in IPL 2022

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra feels that the Rajasthan Royals (RR) must not move Jos Buttler out of the top three in the batting order since it would lessen his chances of having an impact during IPL 2022.

Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the batting with the destructive England keeper-batter last season. However, RR also have Devdutt Padikkal in the mix this year. The youngster earlier opened for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and was hugely successful.

RR will open their IPL 2022 schedule by taking on the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Tuesday. Previewing the clash, Chopra opined that Buttler’s batting position will be crucial. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he opined:

“Hoping for Jos Buttler to set the stage on fire. He is an absolutely phenomenal batter. But I really hope that Buttler is not moved out of the Top 3 in the batting order. That is because, the later he comes, his role will become that much lesser and that is not something that I would like. He needs to bat in the top-order."

The 44-year-old asserted that the England batter can make a huge impact, even if he comes in at No. 3. He added:

“Sanju can bat at 4. If Jos opens, then great. Even if he comes in at three, he can bat in the middle-overs. If he is out there for 13-14 overs, he is capable of scoring a hundred. Also, remember this is not a big ground (MCA Stadium in Pune).”

Buttler hammered his maiden IPL hundred when RR took on SRH during the first half of the T20 league last season.

Speaking about the middle order, Chopra suggested that Riyan Parag is likely to play since he has been picked, while Karun Nair could be an outside choice.

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“They have four gun bowlers, so that department is sorted” – Aakash Chopra on RR’s rich bowling resources

Shifting focus to Rajasthan’s bowling, the former cricketer reckoned that the franchise has a high-quality line-up with the likes of Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal.

He elaborated:

“They have four gun bowlers, so that department is sorted. There are two quality spinners as well as pacers in Boult, Krishna, Ashwin and Chahal. Among the players who can bat and bowl, they will need to pick between Nathan Coulter-Nile, Daryl Mitchell and James Neesham.”

Concluding his views on the new-look Rajasthan franchise, Chopra asserted:

“Overall, they look a side that has got pretty much all their bases covered. Of course, the perennial problem of who will bat in the lower middle-order persists.”

RR finished seventh in IPL 2021, winning only five of 14 games. Their upcoming opponents SRH finished last, managing to win just three matches.