Former India player-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has said that the IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 match between the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) could see an exciting battle between Kagiso Rabada and Jofra Archer. He further added that the GT head coach Ashish Nehra and the RR bowling coach Shane Bond have asked the 2 pace bowlers to bowl only fast deliveries and refrain from bowling slower ones as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “GT have taken 31 Powerplay wickets. RR aren’t too far behind either. They’ve also taken 29 wickets. Kagiso Rabada is bowling like fire. The bro is proper fire, but Jofra isn’t any less. He can also be bowling at 150 kph. I feel each bowling coaches have said something of their ears, that they need to bowl length balls and fast, and stay distant from slower ones.”
“Each was guilty of that. Jofra used to bowl a leg-cutter variation, and Kagiso Rabada used to make use of an off-cutter variation quite a bit. The role clarity has come this time. Shane Bond may need spoken to Jofra, and it may be Ashish Nehra’s input for Kagiso Rabada,” he again added.
“There’s Karamati Khan, who has loads of experience on one side” – Aakash Chopra
Nevertheless, Aakash Chopra also wondered whether the Gujarat Titans should introduce their key spinner Rashid Khan early into the attack within the match if their pace bowlers don’t dismiss Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“What about Rashid Khan? Rashid Khan has taken wickets, but he rarely bowls within the Powerplay. Will you need to bring him early this time? If Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal don’t get out early, do you need to introduce him barely early? It’s one thing that they need to take into consideration,” he said.
“There’s Karamati Khan, who has loads of experience on one side, but Yash Raj Punja has flown under the radar. Ever since he has come, his performance has been extremely praiseworthy. He bowls from a great height and has a high-arm motion. He doesn’t bowl only fast. He bowls barely slow as well, and he can also be a wicket-taker,” he concluded.
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