‘It’s not good enough’: Akash Chopra issues warning to RCB star players

ex indian opener Akash Chopra caused concern Jacob BethelHis form ahead of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s match against Gujarat Titans on April 30 suggests that the youngster may be feeling the pressure after a quiet start to the season.Bethell came on as a replacement for the injured Phil Salter, who had featured in the past two games but was unable to turn around the starting lineup. The results of 14-for-10 shooting and 11-for-20 shooting have begun to show, but Chopra believes that this is not enough to meet the expectations within the camp.Chopra said on his YouTube channel that the team composition does not necessarily need to change, but added that Bethel’s performance will be closely watched. He also mentioned Alastair CookEarlier comments about the youngster’s playing time pointed to the irony of him being given opportunities but failing to make a strong impact.“Don’t change anything, although there will be slight pressure on Jacob Bethell because not too long ago, Alastair Cook asked him to come back without playing. He’s playing but he’s not scoring. He’s just cameoing. That’s not good enough. So that’s one thing they want to change,” Chopra said.Chopra also questioned how RCB could exploit Romario Shepherdpointing out the lack of clarity in his role. He emphasized that Sheppard is expensive with the ball and doesn’t get enough opportunities to contribute with the bat, making his presence somewhat ineffective in the current setup.“They still don’t know what Romario Shepherd’s role is because when he bowls, he gets hit so often and he can’t bat at all. That’s another incredible part, all the teams batted with 12 and they batted with 11 and despite that, they won,” he commented.Turning his attention to Gujarat, Chopra identified two major issues that could hold them back. First, he said, they relied heavily on the Supreme Order, especially Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill and If the housekeeper. According to him, the fate of the team is closely related to whether these three people can achieve results.“GT, you have two problems. Among them is your dependence on the top three, which will remain. There is nothing you can do about it. Sai Sudharsan scored that day (away against RCB) and needs to score today too, otherwise Shubman Gill or Jos Buttler should score,” he said.The second issue Chopra identifies is Gujarat’s struggle with death. He pointed out that their scoring rate in the last four rounds has been poor, and 42 points is their highest score in this stage so far.“Your problem is that you have not scored in the last four rounds. Your highest score is 42 points. If 42 points is the highest score by a team in the last four rounds, it means you have a problem. You have to solve this problem. If you don’t solve this problem, how will you improve?” he added.With both teams having particular concerns heading into the game, the upcoming clash could depend on whether the likes of Besser can step up and whether Gujarat can sort out their finishing issues in time.