Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra feels Virat Kohli’s match-up against Sandeep Sharma will be one of the key player battles to watch out for when the Rajasthan Royals (RR) take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Guwahati on Friday, April 10. Chopra said that Kohli does have a decent strike-rate against Sandeep, but his numbers are not great, adding that Sandeep’s lack of pace gets Kohli in trouble.
“Sandeep Sharma vs Virat Kohli again is a story because he (Kohli) doesn’t have very good numbers against him (Sandeep). The strike rate is decent, but the numbers aren’t excellent. He doesn’t like playing Sandeep Sharma because he doesn’t provide pace,” he said.
‘Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal Key For RCB’ – Aakash Chopra
Chopra further said that Phil Salt and Devdutt Padikkal will be key players for RCB, highlighting runs in recent games. He, however, believes that Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger will ask tough questions to the RCB batters with the new ball.
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“Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger will ask tough questions with the new ball. Phil Salt scored a few runs in the last match. So the focus will be on him. Devdutt Padikkal is in dream form. His most runs have come against RR. So that will be worth watching,” he observed.
All Eyes On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Chopra also wondered if Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would take on Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jacob Duffy from the word go. Vaibhav has been a revelation for RR in IPL 2026, scoring 122 runs in three games at a strike rate of nearly 250. Against MI, he took on arguably the best bowler in the world, Jasprit Bumrah, smoking him for a first-ball six.
“Once again, Vaibhav vs the opposition bowlers. A lot of focus will be on him. Jacob Duffy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and either Abhinandan Singh or Mangesh Yadav will be there. Vaibhav Suryavanshi did it to Matt Henry first, then to Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. Will he do it to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jacob Duffy now? That’s the big question,” he said.
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The cricketer turned commentator accepted that RCB has an explosive batting unit, but said that their bowling can be put under pressure.
‘RCB’s Bowling Looks Under Pressure’ – Aakash Chopra
“RCB are the most explosive team in this league. Everyone keeps hitting from No. 1 to No. 8 or No. 9. It can be very difficult to stop that team, but if they have a weakness, they reduce the opposing team to 29/3 or whatever, but then they score 200. If RCB have a concern, bowling has often looked slightly under pressure,” Chopra observed.
Disclaimer: This article summarizes a report by Aakash Chopra. While Times Now has verified the public data presented, the interpretations of ‘intent’ remain those of the creator.
