'Two out of two for Bangalore' - Aakash Chopra backs RCB to win their upcoming clash against KKR

Former India cricketer and an expert of the game Aakash Chopra made a bold prediction ahead of the ninth match of the Indian Premier League 2023, where Kolkata Knight Riders are set to host the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Eden Gardens Stadium. It will be Kolkata’s first home game since April 28, 2019, as the league saw plenty of changes during the Covid-19 pandemic over the past three editions.

Chopra believes that the Faf du Plessis-led side will emerge victorious against the Nitish Rana-led Kolkata Knight Riders in their upcoming contest. RCB have a winning momentum as they defeated Mumbai Indians in their campaign opener and clinched a comfortable victory over the five-time champions. RCB looked in good touch across all departments, whereas KKR failed to make a mark in their previous game against Punjab Kings and eventually faced a defeat.

“Bangalore will win this match, which means two out of two for Bangalore and it means two out of two losses for Kolkata. Is that going to happen? I don't know, we shall find out, but I feel that will happen. My second prediction is that Siraj and Harshal will together pick up three or more wickets. You can add the name of any other fast bowler you want, it will become a total of five wickets. I feel fast bowlers will be more successful than spinners here,” Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Russell and Maxwell will together hit five or more sixes: Chopra

The pitch at the Eden Gardens Stadium has typically supported the batters. In the shortest format of the game, the batters enjoy their time on the field and make the most of the shorter boundaries during the powerplay. Given the two teams’ batting lineup, Chopra believes that the batters will dominate the first six overs and high scores will be witnessed.

“More than 90 runs will be scored in the powerplay overs. In the first six overs apiece for both sides, even 105 runs might be scored. There will be decent hitting in the initial overs. There will be a little help from the pitch for the fast bowlers but the ball will come very nicely onto the bat. Russell and Maxwell will together hit five or more sixes. Both like hitting sixes and this ground is extremely favorable for hitting sixes,” Chopra added.