"When Josh Hazlewood will be bowling, you will suddenly remember the WTC final" - Aakash Chopra on MI-RCB IPL 2023 clash

Aakash Chopra has picked the battle between the Mumbai Indians (MI) openers and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) new-ball bowlers as one of the key contests in the IPL 2023 clash between the two sides.

The two teams will lock horns at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, May 9. The five-time champions will hope to avenge the eight-wicket mauling they received at the hands of Faf du Plessis and Co. in the reverse fixture between the two sides earlier in the tournament in Bengaluru.

While previewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan's battle against Josh Hazlewood will be a precursor to the World Test Championship (WTC) final, stating:

"What will be the big-big threads in this game? The threads are very simple - Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan, and Josh Hazlewood and Mohammed Siraj in front of them. When Josh Hazlewood will be bowling, you will suddenly remember the WTC final because Ishan Kishan is also there in the WTC final."

While acknowledging that Kishan might not figure in India's XI in the WTC final, the former Indian opener highlighted that the MI skipper and RCB seamer are likely to battle it out at the Oval, observing:

"He will not play but he is there. Rohit Sharma is definitely there and Josh Hazlewood will also be there in front of him. There will be a little help from the pitch as well. That will be an interesting battle to watch - Mohammed Siraj and Josh Hazlewood and the two MI openers in front of them if Rohit comes to open."

Rohit, who has aggregated a paltry five runs in his last four innings and has been dismissed for a duck in his last two hits, did not open in the Mumbai Indians' last game against the Chennai Super Kings. The MI captain will hope to be back among the runs to help his side qualify for the playoffs.

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"Play Jason Behrendorff along with Jofra Archer" - Aakash Chopra suggests a change in MI's XI to tackle RCB's openers

Faf du Plessis (R) and Virat Kohli are RCB's top run-getters in IPL 2023. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra wants the Mumbai Indians to play Jason Behrendorff as a second overseas pacer against RCB, reasoning:

"One more story is that I feel you should play Jason Behrendorff along with Jofra Archer although Chris Jordan has also come. These two bowling against Faf and Kohli because if you don't dismiss the 'K' and 'F' of KGF, 'G' will also come and hit."

The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by picking Glenn Maxwell's battle with Piyush Chawla as another riveting contest in the RCB-MI clash, explaining:

"I am remembering a third interesting battle as well, that is Glenn Maxwell in front of Piyush Chawla, whether the 'G' of KGF will play cautiously or hit big-big shots. Maxi is aggressive and doesn't take a backward step and Piyush Chawla is the pick of the Mumbai bowlers this season."

Maxwell, with 262 runs, is RCB's third-highest run-scorer in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League. Chawla, with 17 scalps, is not only MI's most successful bowler but also the joint fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2023 thus far.