Former India opener Aakash Chopra has raised concerns over Jacob Bethell’s form ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s clash against Gujarat Titans on April 30, suggesting the youngster could be feeling the heat after a quiet start to his stint this season.Bethell, who came into the side for the injured Phil Salt, has featured in the last two matches but hasn’t managed to convert his starts. Scores of 14 off 10 and 20 off 11 have shown glimpses, but Chopra believes that won’t be enough to satisfy expectations within the camp.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said the team combination does not necessarily need a change, but added that Bethell’s performances will be under scrutiny. He also referenced Alastair Cook’s earlier remarks about the youngster’s playing time, pointing out the irony of him getting opportunities but failing to make a strong impact.“Don’t change anything, although there will be slight pressure on Jacob Bethell because some time back, Alastair Cook was asking him to return if he was not being played. He is playing, but he isn’t scoring runs. He is playing cameos. That’s not good enough. So that is one thing they would want to change,” Chopra said.Chopra also questioned how RCB are utilising Romario Shepherd, noting a lack of clarity around his role. He highlighted that Shepherd has been expensive with the ball and hasn’t had enough chances 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 he gets hit a lot when he comes to bowl, and he is not getting to bat at all. This is another incredible part that all teams are playing with 12, they are playing with 11, and are winning despite that,” he observed.Turning his attention to Gujarat, Chopra identified two major concerns that could hold them back. The first, he said, is their heavy reliance on the top order, particularly Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler. According to him, the team’s fortunes are closely tied to whether this trio delivers.“GT, you have two issues. It includes your dependency on the top three, which will remain. You cannot do anything about that. Sai Sudharsan scored runs that day (away game against RCB) and needs to score runs today as well, or else Shubman Gill or Jos Buttler should score runs,” he said.The second issue Chopra flagged was Gujarat’s struggles at the death. He pointed out that their scoring rate in the final four overs has been underwhelming, with 42 being their highest return in that phase so far.“Your problem is that you don’t score runs in the last four overs. The highest you have scored is 42. If 42 is a team’s highest in the last four overs, it means you have a problem. You will have to address that problem. How will you progress if you don’t address that?” he added.With both teams carrying specific concerns into the contest, the upcoming clash could hinge on whether individuals like Bethell step up and whether Gujarat can fix their finishing issues in time.
