"How will they play at home?" - Aakash Chopra on RCB ahead of IPL 2025 clash vs GT

Former India player Aakash Chopra has expressed eagerness to see how the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) perform at home in IPL 2025. He opined that the franchise's results at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium could define their playoff qualification prospects.

RCB will host the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Match 14 of IPL 2025 in Bengaluru on Wednesday, April 2. Rajat Patidar and company are perched atop the points table after registering convincing wins in their first two away games against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), respectively.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener expressed keenness to see whether the Royal Challengers Bengaluru continue their winning run at home.

"It's RCB's first home game. They have reached here after winning two successive games. They beat the defending champions KKR in Kolkata and breached the Chennai fortress by beating CSK in Chepauk. However, how will they play at home?" he said (2:00).

Chopra noted that an impressive run at home would help the three-time finalists' chances of reaching the IPL 2025 playoffs.

"They are one of the few teams whose numbers at home are not that good, but they have come after such good victories away from home, and the team is looking strong with a quality bowling lineup. If this team plays well at home, their qualification will look good. So Bengaluru must start very strongly at home," he observed.

RCB won four of their seven home games in IPL 2024. They beat the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 27 runs in their final league game in Bengaluru to qualify for the playoffs last season.

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"Phil Salt will play on this ground for the first time" - Aakash Chopra on RCB's 'explosive' batting ahead of IPL 2025 clash vs GT

Phil Salt has smashed 88 runs at a strike rate of 187.23 in two innings in IPL 2025. [P/C: iplt20.com]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's destructive batting lineup will be in focus in their IPL 2025 clash against the Gujarat Titans.

"The focus will once again be on their explosive batting lineup. Phil Salt will play on this ground for the first time, and such batters generally like this ground. Virat Kohli played a run-a-ball in the last match, but you might see his Virat form here as was seen at the Eden Gardens. Rajat Patidar was lucky in the last match, but he is pulling his weight in the side as a captain and as a batter," he said (4:40).

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that virtually every RCB batter was among the runs in their first two games.

"Devdutt Padikkal played a very nice cameo in the last match. Liam Livingstone has not fired yet. So the focus will be slightly on him. Jitesh Sharma hasn't got too many opportunities, although he too hit a six over cover, and Tim David's three sixes in the last over against Sam Curran took the total forward," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra highlighted that RCB also have a formidable seam-bowling attack, with Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal performing well in tandem. However, he opined that the hosts' spin-bowling attack, which could prove to be their weak link, would be tested at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.