IPL 2021: Net Run Rate Will Drown RCB If They Are Stuck With Someone On 14 Points: Aakash Chopra

Cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra said that Royal Challengers Bangalore should be worried about their net-run rate in the IPL 2021.

On Monday, RCB lost to KKR by nine wickets in Abu Dhabi. Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat first but KKR bowlers led by Varun Chakravarthy bowled brilliantly to skittle down RCB to 92.

KKR beat RCB by nine wickets in 10 overs

RCB were 41/2 at the end of the powerplay with both the openers Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal back in the dugout. West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell (3/9) and Chakravarthy (3/13) were the top picks in the KKR bowling attack.

KKR openers Shubman Gill (48) and debutant Venkatesh Iyer (41*) steered the chase in 10 overs with excellent shots. Gill was dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal when KKR were 10 runs away from the win.

Great teams save the net run rate and take the match deep: Aakash Chopra

This was RCB’s third loss in a row and their net run rate dipped down to -0.706, the worst amongst all the franchises in this season so far.

Chopra mentioned that great teams should maintain their net run rate even though they end up losing the match. Chopra said if RCB gets tied up at 14 points with any team then it will jeopardise their chances of qualification.

“Great teams, when they lose give two points, but do not lose too much with that. They save the net run rate and take the match deep because it will come in handy in the end. If you see the first match, Chennai were 25/4 and found a way to reach 156. In the same match, Mumbai had lost three wickets in the powerplay but they found a way to last 20 overs,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“But this is the team that when they lose wickets, they do it one after the other and they don’t play the entire 20 overs. The net run-rate takes such a solid beating, that in the end they will get stuck if they don’t have 16 points.

“The net run-rate will drown them if they are stuck with someone on 14 points. Their net run is worst among the top four teams and Kolkata, who have reached the fifth spot, their net run rate is better than them,” he added.

RCB will face CSK in a mouth-watering clash on September 24 in Sharjah.

Also Read: IPL 2021 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore: We Probably Got The Toss Wrong, Admits Mike Hesson