As the Royal Challengers Bengaluru are set to face off against the Rajasthan Royals for the first eliminator in the playoff stages of Indian Premier League 2024, Aakash Chopra suggests that the momentum might be in favour of the Bengaluru-unit but they have to be wary of things going against them.
RCB have had a tremendous rise to form, winning six games on the bounce to take them to an unlikely playoff spot. They even managed to beat the defending champions Chennai Super Kings in their final game of the season by the margin required to tilt the net run-rate in their favour. But while RCB might be in the best form, the former Indian cricketer remains wary of the law of averages going against the Bengaluru-based unit.
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“The scales, without doubt, are tilted towards Bengaluru. They have the momentum. The only thing that can go against them is that they have won six consecutive games. A bad day can come anytime but they are a team on the rise with a lot of hunger. So I am going with RCB,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
RCB did have a fairly disastrous start to the season, having won just once in their first eight games. But things finally started to click for RCB and they managed to sneak their way into the playoffs with luck falling in their favour.
But their track record against RR has not been great in the current season. In the only game they played this year, Sanju Samson’s side managed to get the victory thanks to Jos Buttler’s century. However, the English white-ball captain has exited the tournament for national duties and RR’s opening slot has a massive hole to fill. While Tom Kohler-Cadmore has been given a few chances, he is yet to make his mark in the tournament.
Reflecting on RCB’s performances in the last few games, Chopra acknowledges that their side is on the up and Virat Kohli has had a major role to play for their fortunes as well. He is currently the leading run-scorer for the tournament with over 700 runs so far. He will once again be a key component in the crucial fixture which could decide their fate.
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“This team’s graph is going upwards. So which are the big, big pieces that have worked well? Virat Kohli’s passion, aggression and consistency. He has been stellar. He is unstoppable. He has decided that he has to do and show something different this season. Virat Kohli consistently doing well is mandatory in their turnaround,” Chopra concluded.
RR might not be having the best run of form at the moment as they managed to lose four games on the trot. With Buttler’s absence and the heavy reliance on Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s hot and cold season with the bat, it could mean RCB are well and truly in the hunt to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the second eliminator that takes place in Chennai.
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