"Won't Qualify If" - Aakash Chopra makes a bold statement on RCB's future in the IPL 2022
On Tuesday, RCB lost their fourth match of the season when RR won by 29 runs at the MCA stadium in Pune. This loss came after their horrible performance against SRH, where they were bowled out for just 68 runs. Against RR, they suffered another batting collapse as they were unable to chase down a target of 145 runs and fell short by 29 runs.
The loss has made their NRR worse as they are sitting in the 5th spot with 10 points and a NRR of -0.572. Only MI, which has lost all of their games, has a lower NRR than RCB. Faf du Plessis and his team now have to win at least three of their remaining five matches, and that too, by a big margin.
Former RCB captain Virat Kohli failed yet again, being dismissed after nine runs. Faf Du Plessis, Glenn Marwell, and Dinesh Karthik also did little and were out cheaply, resulting in the loss in the match. Former Indian Test opener, Aakash Chopra, reckons that RCB need their big three to perform in order to qualify for the next round. Aakash shared a video on his YouTube channel, discussing the plans that RCB needs to work on.
Firstly, he spoke about their loss against RR. He said that despite chasing a below-par target of 145 runs, a loss of 29 runs in a 20-over game is still a big margin, especially after they were bowled out for 68 in the previous match. However, the 44-year-old believes RCB has the right team that can bounce back from any situation. But he also said that it must be the top three that need to take the responsibility of the team. Aakash concluded, "By top three I mean Kohli, Faf and Maxi (Maxwell). If they don't score runs then RCB won't qualify for the playoffs and I can give that you in writing."
Royal Challengers Bangalore will face Gujarat Titans in their next match on Saturday, April 30 at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. They must win the game because another loss will severely harm their chances of finishing in the top four. That might also end their race to the next round.