"You should play Rilee Rossouw in this match" - Aakash Chopra wants Punjab Kings to drop Jonny Bairstow in IPL 2024 clash vs Mumbai Indians

Aakash Chopra has urged the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to play Rilee Rossouw ahead of Jonny Bairstow in their IPL 2024 clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Mullanpur on Thursday, April 18.

With four points from six games, PBKS are placed eighth on the points table, a rung above MI based on net run rate. A win against Hardik Pandya and company will help them join three other teams on six points.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Rossouw should come in at Bairstow's expense. He also picked the former as the first Punjab Kings player in focus in Thursday's game.

"If Shikhar Dhawan isn't available, I am saying tata bye-bye to Jonny Bairstow. You are not scoring runs and were playing at less than a run-a-ball last time. It makes no sense. Then you move away and say that you should try to do something different. I think you should play Rilee Rossouw in this match. He is sitting outside, so you can play him in place of Bairstow," he reasoned (2:00).

"You can get Atharva Taide and Prabhsimran Singh to open if Shikhar isn't available. Rilee Rossouw was bought very expensive at the end of the auction and he is the same player who thrashed them (Punjab Kings) in Dharamsala. So play him and expect him to do the job Jonny Bairstow hasn't been able to do. So my first player is Rilee Rossouw," the former India opener added.

Bairstow has aggregated 96 runs at a paltry average of 16.00 in six innings in IPL 2024. The England opener might have to make way for Rossouw, who was bought by PBKS for ₹8 crore at the auction.

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"Get him to bat slightly up the order and I want him to score runs as well" - Aakash Chopra on Punjab Kings' Liam Livingstone

Liam Livingstone has smashed 104 runs at a strike rate of 160.00 in four innings in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra chose Liam Livingstone as the second Punjab Kings player to watch out for against the Mumbai Indians.

"My second player is Liam Livingstone. If I remember correctly, they sent him to bat at No. 7 in the last match. I don't know what was the logic behind that. So get him to bat slightly up the order and I want him to score runs as well. The opposing attack is not that good, so you will look towards Liam Livingstone to score runs," he said (3:10).

The reputed commentator named Shashank Singh as the third Punjab Kings player he is eager to watch.

"Since this team will have to bat well, the third player I am choosing is Shashank Singh. Play him also slightly up the order - give him a chance and see what happens. Make your batting slightly stronger towards the top. Shashank has the power and form, and he can take on the opposition," Chopra elaborated.

Shashank is PBKS' second-highest run-scorer in IPL 2024. The middle-order batter has smashed 146 runs, only six fewer than Shikhar Dhawan, at an outstanding strike rate of 184.81 in six innings.