Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned whether the RCB should include either Mohit Rathee or Swapnil Singh in their playing combination in place of Rasikh Salam Dar against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He also wondered whether RCB would play Bhuvneshwar Kumar alongside three spinners – Krunal Pandya, Suyash Sharma and Liam Livingstone as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra’, he said, “The first question will be whether Bhuvneshwar Kumar will play. The question is whether he is fit or not. He was bowling in the nets in the last match. However, will you see him playing here because I feel he has a huge role to play? He is someone who gives you control. Bhuvneshwar being fit and playing is absolutely critical.”
“The second thing I am thinking is that if spin is dominant, Krunal Pandya picked up three wickets and Suyash Sharma took one but Suyash was very expensive, can either Mohit Rathee or Swapnil be played? Can they think about playing one of the two in place of Rasikh Salam Dar? Can an extra spinner be played because it’s a spin-friendly ground?” he again added.
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Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra also picked the contest between Noor Ahmad and Rajat Patidar as the battle to watch out for in the RCB’s IPL 2025 clash against the Chennai Super Kings as well.
“The third thing I will focus on for Bengaluru is the contest between Noor Ahmad and Rajat Patidar. There will be a contest between Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli and one between Ravindra Jadeja and Phil Salt as well, but the focus will be on Rajat Patidar, the captain, and his batting,” he said.
“He is exceptional against spin, and who will take down Noor Ahmad? It will be worth watching. If Devdutt Padikkal plays, he will come at No. 3, then Rajat Patidar will have to negate, negotiate, and decimate the majority of Noor Ahmad. If he does that, great. If he is unable to do that, the match will turn towards Chennai. Noor Ahmad might just hold the key to this match’s outcome,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
