IPL 2019: Yuzvendra Chahal optimistic about RCB’s playoff chances

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has had a torrid season so far in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019. After losing six matches in a row, RCB finally registered their first win in the season against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) but were brought back onto earth after yet another loss against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Mumbai. With 7 losses in 8 games, RCB needs to win all the six remaining matches if they wish to make it to the playoffs.

And this is something that their leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is hopeful of doing despite the odds being stacked heavily against them. Only four times in the 11-year history of IPL have team managed such a feat of qualifying for the playoffs with 14 points in league stages. The last team to do so was Rajasthan Royals (RR), who put up a comeback by winning seven matches in the group stages of IPL 2018 and making it to playoffs.

If we win the next six games we can qualify, says Chahal

RCB’s batting has been centred on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, while others have made negligible contributions with Ali making a fifty against MI recently and Stoinis playing a couple of cameos. The main problem of RCB has been their bowling attack which has been carted for runs in both away and home games. Their fast bowlers and spinners, except Chahal, have been ineffective to defend a total of keeping the opposition to a low score.

“If we win the next six games we can qualify. Last year a team had qualified with 14 points, so still, we are in the game. You never know what will happen next,” Chahal was quoted as saying by India Today.

“The pitch was offering turn and it wasn’t easy to score against the spinners. We bowled well till the 18th over barring a couple of bad overs in the Powerplay and still, there were two overs and 24 runs (22) left. We had a chance on this track but Hardik did well,” Chahal applauded Hardik’s efforts.

Chahal has also made it to the Indian 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019 as one of the three spinners in the team with Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja being the other two. “It is my first World Cup, I’m very excited for that. Everyone wants to represent the country in the World Cup, so I’m excited,” Chahal concluded.

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