"The other teams should be slightly scared" - Aakash Chopra on RCB's dominant win in IPL 2023 clash vs SRH

Aakash Chopra reckons the Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) back-to-back emphatic victories in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) might set the alarm bells ringing for the other playoff contenders.

RCB registered a comprehensive eight-wicket win against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Hyderabad on Thursday, May 18. The win came on the back of Faf du Plessis and Co.'s 112-run annihilation of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their previous game four days earlier.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that the Royal Challengers Bangalore's dominant displays might have set the cat among the pigeons, stating:

"Bangalore are alive and they are properly alive. They have won their last two games in a canter. So the other teams should be slightly scared but who will progress will now only be known on Sunday evening."

Virat Kohli (100 off 63) and Faf du Plessis (71 off 47) were RCB's star performers against SRH. The opening pair added 172 runs in 17.5 overs in a 187-run chase to virtually end the match as a contest.

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"There are so many combinations possible" - Aakash Chopra on RCB and other teams' qualification scenarios

The Gujarat Titans are the only team to have booked a berth in the playoffs. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra pointed out that IPL 2023 is seeing a riveting playoff qualification race, observing:

"There are so many combinations possible that we still don't know which team apart from GT (Gujarat Titans) will be able to progress. Bangalore's simple story is that they can reach 16 points."

The former Indian opener highlighted that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) might have sealed their knockout berths before RCB and the Mumbai Indians (MI) play their final games on Sunday, May 21:

"Their last match is against GT, which will be at their home, but before that Mumbai will be playing Hyderabad. They can also reach 16 points. Before that, Chennai will play against Delhi in Delhi. If Chennai win - 17 points, qualify. If Lucknow wins the evening game - 17 points, qualify."

Chopra added that both RCB and MI could make it through to the playoffs if either CSK or LSG lose their final match:

"If both don't win, only one of those two teams might qualify, and then Mumbai and Bangalore can qualify. It is also possible that both of these teams and Mumbai qualify, and Bangalore don't if they lose their last match."

Apart from the aforementioned sides, the Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders are also in the playoff race. The three teams could come into contention if the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians lose their final games.