'The overreliance on the top three is one of your problems' - Aakash Chopra previews PBKS vs RR clash

Published - 28 Apr 2026, 15:54 IST | Updated - 28 Apr 2026, 16:25 IST

The Punjab Kings host the Rajasthan Royals at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Tuesday, April 28. Ahead of the high-voltage clash, former India opener Aakash Chopra opined that the Royals have been overreliant on their top three batters - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Dhruv Jurel.

Captain Riyan Parag has only managed 88 runs in eight innings at an average of 12.57 and a strike rate of 112.83. The likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Donovan Ferreira have flattered to deceive.

"The overreliance on the top three is one of your problems. Runs haven't been scored at Nos. 4, 5, and 6. Riyan Parag has scored 88 runs in eight matches. He will have to walk the talk. We say we are good, he is a good player, but he doesn't have form. So you will have to accept that the form isn't good. If Nos. 4, 5, and 6 don't score the runs, for how long will the top three keep you relevant?" he said on his YouTube channel.

The cricketer-turned-commentator mentioned the last game where Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored a 35-ball century, but once he was dismissed, the other batters couldn't stamp their authority in the death overs. Chopra also drew similarities between the Rajasthan Royals and the Gujarat Titans' batting lineups.

"In the last match as well, the runs got chased. You should have reached close to 250, and you were left 25 runs behind. So you understand that there is a middle-order problem, as Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored a hundred, and then the last four overs. For a variety of reasons, their batting and the Gujarat Titans' batting look similar," he observed.

Chopra suggested that Tuesday's game would be a battle between the openers from both teams. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh have fired on all cylinders for Punjab. On the other hand, Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi have given the inaugural champions some blistering starts as well.

"It's a battle between the openers on both sides. Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya are on one side, and Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryananshi are on the other side. So it's going to be a good game of cricket. It will be bat vs bat at the start," he said.

Chopra opined that the Rajasthan Royals would have to bring their A-game to the fore if they are to end the Punjab Kings' unbeaten streak.

"Rajasthan will try to stop Punjab somehow, which looks almost impossible. Let's see if there is any team that can stop Punjab's winning run. I am not sure whether even Rajasthan can do that job. I am not 100 percent certain," Chopra stated.