"He doesn't even bowl 4 overs every time" - Aakash Chopra on RCB's potential challenges in IPL 2025

Former India player Aakash Chopra has picked the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) spin-bowling department as a potential concern heading into IPL 2025. He pointed out that Krunal Pandya, one of the two spinners likely to be a part of their playing XI, is not even a regular four-over bowler.

RCB bought Krunal for ₹5.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction. Suyash Sharma (₹2.60 crore) was the only prominent frontline spinner picked by the franchise at the mega auction last November.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener opined that spin bowling could be the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's biggest challenge in IPL 2025.

"The glaring problem I see is the spin department. It seemed like they forgot that they had to pick spinners. They have gone a little light in the spin department. You have two spinners, one is Krunal Pandya and the other is Suyash Sharma. It doesn't give me a lot of confidence," he said (5:05).

"Krunal Pandya bowls tight lines with the new ball. However, he doesn't even bowl four overs every time. He is a competitive and effective player, but he is also an all-rounder. You don't see him as an out-and-out spinner. He is not your wicket-taking option," Chopra added.

Aakash Chopra pointed out that Suyash Sharma, who showed a lot of promise for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the start of his IPL career, did not have a good run last season. He questioned whether a game plan can be formulated around the young Delhi spinner, highlighting that he is neither Yuzvendra Chahal nor Ravi Bishnoi.

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"Luck is a factor that doesn't go in their favor" - Aakash Chopra on RCB's other potential challenges in IPL 2025

RCB have finished as the IPL runners-up thrice. [P/C: iplt20.com]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru might have to overcome the luck factor, which generally doesn't go in their favor, in IPL 2025.

"Do they run out of luck? Luck is a factor that doesn't go in their favor, or else if you qualify nine times and reach the final thrice, you lift the trophy at least once or twice. Their women's team reached the final once and they have a trophy. If you reach the final thrice and don't lift the trophy even once, you feel things are not great," he said (7:05).

The cricketer-turned-analyst added that RCB's inability to turn their home ground into a fortress is another of their challenges heading into IPL 2025.

"Neither their men nor their women have a home-ground advantage. They don't win as many matches at home as they should. When you see any successful franchise, a lot of times you think whether they play well or not at home. The answer to that question for them is that they don't play that well at home," Chopra added.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra opined that injury concerns could be another challenge for RCB in IPL 2025. He pointed out that there is no clarity yet about Josh Hazlewood and Jacob Bethell's availability from the start of the tournament.