"I wouldn't be surprised if RCB don't make it to the IPL 2022 playoffs" - Aakash Chopra
Former Indian player Aakash Chopra has predicted that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) might not make it to the playoffs in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022).
The cricketer-turned-commentator made these remarks while speaking on his YouTube channel on Friday. While Chopra reckoned that Bangalore could prove him wrong by finishing in the top four after the league stage, he wouldn't be surprised if they fail to do so. Chopra said:
"I'd say that RCB may not qualify this year. This is what I feel and I could be completely wrong. They may still make it, but I wouldn't be surprised if they don't."
The 44-year-old pointed out that RCB still don't have the firepower in their lower middle-order despite the inclusions of Dinesh Karthik and Mahipal Lomror. He also suggested that instead of spending a lot of money on Wanindu Hasaranga (₹10.75 crores), they could have looked at options like Rahul Chahar and Yuzendra Chahal at last month's auction.
He added:
"RCB have Faf at the top with DK and Mahipal Lomror down the order. They spent a lot of money on Hasaranga. I was surprised that did not look at someone like Rahul Chahar and Yuzvendra Chahal. The lower middle-order woes that were there before are still there."
Bangalore have appointed veteran batter Faf du Plessis as their captain for this year's cash-rich league. They will begin their IPL 2022 campaign on March 27 against the Punjab Kings at the DY Patil Stadium.
"There is a volatile environment when Glenn Maxwell is around" - Aakash Chopra
Chopra also underlined how consistency has been an issue with Glenn Maxwell. He labeled the Aussie batter a 'high-risk' player and suggested that while Maxwell performed well last year, it remains to be seen if he can come up with similar performances this time as well. Chopra said:
"Speaking of their pain points, Glenn Maxwell has a good season once in five years. He could also have back-to-back good seasons too, there's no doubt about that too. But there is still a volatile environment when Maxwell is around because he is a high-risk player."
Maxwell was one of the players retained by RCB ahead of the IPL 2022 auction. With 513 runs from 15 matches, the right-hander finished as the team's highest run-scorer in the previous season.
Watch Aakash Chopra's full video below: