For Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has given a probable team combination, including the four main overseas players; Aaron Finch, AB de Villiers, Chir Morris and Moen Ali. He believes that RCB has a good squad this year and can win matches.
RCB has been losing most of the matches because of ineffective death over bowling. Yuzvendra Chahal, who is in the core group of the Royals, has also highlighted that issue. But Aakash Chopra expressed that RCB has enough spinners and pacers this time to get over the problem.
The reputed Hindi commentator made these observations while responding to viewer questions in a video shared on his Facebook page.
A fan asked Aakash Chopra whether RCB should play Aaron Finch or both Moeen Ali and Chris Morris, considering the death bowling issues in the past. The former cricketer suggested that the Royals could play with all the overseas player.
“I feel you can play all three. You can play Finch as opener, AB de Villiers as a batsman, Moeen Ali and Chris Morris. These will be my four overseas players in the RCB team I would like to make,” Aakash Chopra said.
For the bowling department, he said that RCB has a variety of spinners in option with Chahal and Moeen Ali being the lynchpin. He said that the franchise has also a lot of Indian pacer with Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj in the list.
“You have enough Indian spin and Moeen Ali will also give some overs of spin. You have a lot of Indian pacers, you have Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj – you have enough,” he added.
RCB’s batting order is pretty good: Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra said that the Royals can open the batting with Aaron Finch and either Parthiv Patel or Devdutt Padikkal according to team combination.
“If you are an RCB fan, I would say that you play Aaron Finch in all the matches and open with him. There you can go for either Parthiv or Devdutt Padikkal as the opener along with Finch, that is something you may have to decide.”
Following the openers, Aakash Chopra believes that RCB has good batting line up with Virat Kohli at 3, AB de Villiers at 4 and Moeen Ali at 5 and the power hitters Shivam Dube and Chris Morris at No.6 and No.7.
“Virat Kohli at 3, AB de Villiers at 4 and Moeen Ali at 5. It sounds very good. At No.6, you will have Shivam Dube and then you have Chris Morris. So their batting is also looking good.”
Chopra reckons that Virat Kohli-led side would be doing good in the upcoming IPL edition, starting from 19th September.
“I am feeling that this team is good this year and that they would be doing well.”
Meanwhile, RCB’s squad, except Australia and England contingents, have landed the UAE last week. They will soon start their training camp in Dubai.