Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin made a bold prediction about a possible lineup change for defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Ahead of the IPL clash against Gujarat Titans (GT), the veteran off-spinner said that all-rounder Romario Shepherd could be left out of the playing eleven.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will host Gujarat Titans in Match 34 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, April 24. The Rajat Patidar-led home team is currently placed third in the 10-team points table with eight points from four wins. Gujarat Titans, captained by Shubman Gill, are in seventh place after three losses.
I have a feeling Romario Shepherd will not play – Ravichandran Ashwin
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin talked about Romario Shepherd’s recent performance. Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said the defending champions have enough bench strength to replace the West Indies all-rounder with either Jacob Duffy or Jacob Bethell.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “I have a feeling that Romario Shepherd will not play. I have a feeling that they will go with a batsman like Jacob Duffy or Jacob Bethell. But RCB is looking very strong, they have the batting, the bowling is looking strong.”
Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, while previewing the upcoming match, said, “I want to see how Rashid Khan bowls in this game, because the last two games have been a little below Rashid’s level. But RCB are looking very strong in this game. So, I will go with RCB to win.”
Romario Shepherd struggling to perform well for Royal Challengers Bangalore
Romario Shepherd is under investigation after his disappointing performance against Delhi Capitals (DC). In the recent close loss, the West Indies all-rounder conceded 17 runs in just five balls in the decisive final over and scored only one run in four balls with the bat.
Shepherd has failed to replicate his form from last season in the current tournament. He has scored only 39 runs in four innings at an average of 19.50. His bowling has also been a matter of concern, with only three wickets and a high economy rate of 15.11.
Due to these tremendous returns, the team management may consider a change in its overseas combination. So far, Royal Challengers Bangalore have regularly fielded Phil Salt, Tim David, Romario Shepherd as well as Jacob Duffy or Josh Hazlewood, without fully utilizing the other bench options.
Jacob Bethel in line for opportunity after RCB’s batting collapse
English batsman Jacob Bethell is still awaiting his first appearance of the season after being ruled out for the first six matches. The addition of Bethel to the middle order could provide much-needed stability after the recent batting collapse against Delhi Capitals at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Alternatively, fast bowler Jacob Duffy is another strong option for the home team. Duffy has already taken six wickets in three matches since replacing Josh Hazlewood at the start of this season. Playing both fast bowlers together can strengthen the attack against Gujarat Titans.
Royal Challengers Bangalore would like to make a comeback after Delhi Capitals chased the target of 176 runs despite a strong spell from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. However, they face a tough challenge, having lost two of their last three matches against Shubman Gill’s side at this venue.
Also read: Hardik Pandya the real villain? Mumbai Indians issued an official statement on the poor performance of the captain
