Former Indian cricketer Akash Chopra Sure, when all eyes will be on the young sensation Vibhu Suryavanshi. Rajasthan Royals Take on Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026 at Ahmedabad on Saturday 4th April. Suryavanshi lit up the tournament opener with a brilliant knock of 52 off 17 balls, leading Rajasthan Royals to an emphatic eight-wicket win. Chennai Super Kings. His fearless stroke play has already made him one of the most talked about players this season, but Chopra believes that opposition bowlers will be ready with specific plans to counter him. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra suggested that the Gujarat bowlers are likely to test the young player with short pitch deliveries and wide lines. “All eyes are on Vibhu Suryavanshi to see how this guy will play. He will be tested. The way he swings his bat, bouncers will definitely be thrown against him. I think bouncers will be a threat,” Chopra said. He further explained that bowlers can also take advantage of the off-stump areas. “After that, they can bowl a bit wide in front of him, ask him to hit cover for sixes. He doesn’t hit cover for sixes. He is likely to be caught at deep cover. So the bowling can be done in two areas,” he added. Chopra also felt that Rajasthan Royals are unlikely to tinker with a winning combination after their clinical start to the season. After dismissing Chennai Super Kings for just 127 and chasing the target with 47 balls to spare, RR settled down well. “This team doesn’t have many questions. The last match was a great game. They restricted Chennai to 127 and won easily. So I don’t think there is room for too many changes,” he observed. Turning his attention to the Gujarat Titans, Chopra stressed the importance of their top order delivering consistently. Highlighted the roles of Shabman GulSai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, insisting that the trio should repeat their previous performances. “The top three will have to make runs again. Those three are absolutely brilliant. So you’ll have them do what they did last season, but what about Nos. 4 to 6? Against Glenn Phillips, there will be spin bowling, whatever it is. Ravindra Jadeja Or Ravi Bishnoi,” he said. Chopra also raised questions about Gujarat’s middle order and team balance and suggested a possible rethink in the personnel. He wondered if Kumar Kshagra could replace Shah Rukh Khan, while also pointing to Kumar Kshagra’s tremendous comeback in recent years. “Then Washington Sundar and Shah Rukh Khan. Maybe think of Kumar Kshagra. I was looking at how much money Shah Rukh Khan has received in the last five years. Money is not an issue, but performance has not been good. He is still playing,” observes Chopra. On the bowling front, Chopra questioned what? Kagiso Rabada. Jason can make way for Holder after an expensive outing, while Prasad can also suggest better uses for Krishna. Muhammad Siraj. “Kagiso Rabada was expensive in the last match. Will you think about Jason Holder because you bought him for so much money? Can you bowl Prasidh Krishna a bit earlier? Can you bowl Mohammad Siraj till the end?” he explained. Finally, Chopra pointed out that Ashok Sharma will also be in the spotlight. The fast bowler, who was part of Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 but was not retained, now faces his former side in what could be a closely watched subplot in the competition.
