‘RCB clear favourites, they’ll advance to Qualifier 2’: Ex-CSK star sidelines RR in bold prediction before Eliminator
Six-time IPL winning star Ambati Rayudu has picked Royal Challengers Bengaluru as clear favourites in the eliminator against Rajasthan Royals as the momentum is in their favour after the win over Chennai Super Kings. Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s players celebrate after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Chennai Super Kings.(AFP) In the first half of the IPL, RCB were languishing at the bottom of the table while RR were sky-high at the top, but Faf du Plessis and Co. produced one of the best comebacks in tournament history to finish fourth after the league stage. They won six matches on a trot and outclassed CSK in their final league stage match to pip them for the fourth spot in the playoffs. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! “I think RCB are clear favourites for me, because of the way they are playing and they’ve had a clinical game against CSK and for RR I don’t know if this gap in play will help, this washout would help them in going into an eliminator against RCB who I feel right now are a matured side and every player over there knows his role. So I think RCB are the ones who will eventually go into qualifiers 2,” Rayudu said on Star Sports Cricket Live. After losing seven of the first eight matches, RCB somehow managed to bounce back and win match after match to make a case for themselves for the playoff spot when many had written them off. With six wins a trot in the second half and a total of 14 points, RCB secured a higher net-run rate than Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Lucknow Super Giants, who also had 14 points. Former India paceman Varun Aaron also backed RCB for the mega eliminator as he feels Virat Kohli deserves the title after years of hardwork. “He’s got a trophy to get. That’s what’s left for him. One thing that he’s not got in all these years is the IPL trophy. He’s given his heart and soul to this franchise. The fans love him, and the fans from other teams also love him. “But the IPL has been that elusive one for Virat Kohli which he has to get this year. He will want to get that this year, especially after you win six games on the trot and go into a playoff like this,” he added. The former RCB paceman further said that Du Plessis and Co. have the perfect momentum to get past the Royals who looked sluggish in their last few matches. “All it does to you is heighten your self-belief, not just his, but the whole team. So they are going to go in with a lot of belief, very contrasting to the Rajasthan Royals who are going in with a lot of doubts. So it’s going to be a very interesting encounter and I completely back RCB on this one just because of the momentum they are taking into this encounter,” he added.