Former India opener Aakash Chopra reckons that the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) don’t have the strength to reach the playoff of the IPL 2023 in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The three-time finalists will be looking for their maiden IPL title this year. They will be commencing their IPL campaign against five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 2 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
While speaking on the ‘AakashVani’ show on JioCinema, Aakash Chopra said that RCB might end up finding the final spot in the playoffs. The 45-year-old pointed out that playing home matches will trouble them more. He also reckoned that the RCB bowlers will hold the key to their fortunes in the tournament.
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Aakash Chopra explained, “This team should qualify but Bangalore’s problems are when they start playing at home. They are a gun side when they play in neutral venues. It is going to be a different challenge. They can be on the cusp. They can finish anywhere between four and six. They might not come in the top three.”
He further added, “The bowlers’ column decides where you go because batting almost cancels each other out, especially when you play at home. The first name is Wanindu Hasaranga. After that, there is a big question mark over Josh Hazlewood’s availability.”
The cricketer-turned-commentator then talked about the injured Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood, stating that RCB’s overseas fast-bowling contingent looks slightly weak in his absence. Chopra also pointed out that David Willey cannot be termed as an ideal replacement for the Aussie seamer. The Aussie is suspected of missing a few matches this season.
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Explaining the same, Aakash Chopra said, “You will see Reece Topley, David Willey, Mohammed Siraj, Siddarth Kaul and Harshal Patel. They have Karn Sharma and Akash Deep as well. There are a lot of names, quite a few are good as well. The bowling had looked good but if Josh Hazlewood is not there, that makes the side significantly weaker, because David Willey cannot do that job.”
