This will be a serious problem for RR: Aakash Chopra on Jeffrey Archer, Jos Buttler will miss the IPL 2021 UAE leg
Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra believes that the absence of the likes of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler will be a major problem for the Rajasthan Royals in the 2nd stage of the 2021 IPL.
English players are likely to miss the second phase of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in the UAE later this year. The England Cricket Board (ECB) has already signalled that the players will be honouring national duty over the IPL if any international matches collide with the dates of the T20 tournament. Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be one of the teams to be most affected by the absence of the English players in the second phase of IPL 2021 in UAE.
RR have been dealt with a huge blow as they stare at the prospect of losing the likes of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, and Jos Buttler for the remainder of the IPL 2021 season. RR have a total of four English players in their squad – Stokes, Buttler, Archer, and Liam Livingstone. In the first phase of IPL 2021 in India, RR started the season without the services of Archer, who was recovering from an injury before Stokes had to travel back home after picking up an injury during the season.
Livingstone too had returned home before the suspension of the tournament in May due to bio-bubble fatigue, leaving Buttler as the only English player in the squad. RR might not have the services of even Buttler for the remainder of the season which will be played in the UAE.
Former India cricketer and popular commentator Aakash Chopra recently spoke about RR’s woes heading into the second phase of IPL 2021 and said the absence of the English players will be a massive problem for the Sanju Samson-led side.
“Buttler to miss the IPL. If Buttler and Jofra are not there, then it will be a massive problem for the Rajasthan Royals. There is a possibility that Ben Stokes might also not be available,” Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Chopra pointed out Buttler has already made it clear he won’t be turning up in IPL 2021 later this year if England have a major series lined up at the same time. ECB’s managing director Ashley Giles had also affirmed that the English players will prioritise national duty over IPL.
“He has said that it is very difficult for him to play because the English cricket board has a policy that they will keep the country first and they will have to go with what Ashley Giles is asking them to do,” said Chopra.
England players are well paid by their board and the decision for them to skip IPL is thus not a very tough one from the financial point of view, said Chopra while explaining why the English players may give the rest of IPL 2021 a miss.
“The English players are very heavily paid. They do not have that much problem in skipping the IPL, unlike the other nations. Because the English players are paid quite well, the English Cricket Board is able to tighten the screws a little bit more. Because the financial loss does not pinch you that much, you are able to choose country over club. That’s what I feel.” said Chopra.
Rajasthan Royals managed only three wins in their first seven matches in the first phase of IPL 2021 in India and will find it difficult to make it to the playoffs if they lose their best players in the form of Stokes, Buttler, and Archer for the second phase of the tournament.
