Rajasthan Royals’ horrid run in the ongoing IPL (Indian Premier League) 2025 continued. The side after becoming the second team to be eliminated from the group stages have shown little to no signs of improvement. With 13 matches played, the team has won three matches, and have lost 10 matches in the process.
Despite the team’s top-order putting in excellent performances, the middle order has been unable to finish the games for the team, which has seen them lose several matches that were in their grasp.
At the receiving end of such criticism has been the West Indies’ Shimron Hetmyer. In the 13 matches that Hetmyer has played in the IPL 2025, he has scored 227 runs to his name, and speaking of the same, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra took centre stage and opined that Royals should release Hetmyer considering his form.
"Dhruv Jurel played a good knock once again, but couldn't finish. I won't say the ₹14 crore investment in him was wrong, but the truth is that they have fallen just short in run chases many times, and Dhruv Jurel was standing in the end in all those games. Dhruv Jurel is standing there and scoring runs, but is unable to finish matches, and that becomes a bit of an issue,” Aakash Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
"This team should release Shimron Hetmyer. You have kept him after wasting ₹11 crore because he hasn't performed at all, and these were the games he should have won. Then Dhruv Jurel is left alone, and even if Shimron Hetmyer is there with him, he doesn't finish games," he added.
He also talked about how the side can consider releasing the likes of Fazalhaq Farooqi and Kwena Maphaka ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, and plan for the next year now.