RCB is looking like a team that can go ahead and lift the trophy: Aakash Chopra

Former Indian batter and commentator Aakash Chopra thinks that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, led by Rajat Patidar, will earn their silverware for the first time in 18 years of the cash-rich Indian Premier League.

Chopra stated that despite Josh Hazlewood’s absence, his replacement, Lungi Ngidi, stepped up and scalped three wickets to earn a two-run win for the RCB franchise over CSK in a thrilling affair at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, May 3.

"When you look at the season in totality, you say this and that is going right. Injuries happen, and you become weak, but whoever comes does well. Josh Hazlewood wasn't available. Lungi Ngidi came and picked up three wickets. He first dismissed Sam Curran and then picked up two more wickets, Ayush Mhatre on 94 and Dewald Brevis for zero," Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Moreover, Phil Salt, who hasn’t been part of the last two RCB games, was replaced by Jacob Bethell in the opening slot. Interestingly, he went on to smack 55 runs to put his side in a good spot in the powerplay overs.

"Phil Salt wasn't there. Jacob Bethell came and batted incredibly. He scored runs at a strike rate of 170. Krunal Pandya was having a good day, but you took a gamble with Suyash Sharma because MS Dhoni had come. He bowled a six-run over. There was a no-ball in the end, but you won the match despite that. They are looking like a team that can go ahead and lift the trophy," he added.

"Jacob Bethell, the way he started, he didn't let them feel the absence of Phil Salt. He is a good batter, but he is not an opener. He bats down the order, but he was made to open, and he gets set there. Virat Kohli has hit a fourth consecutive half-century and is batting very fast," he stated.

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