IPL 2021: Aakash Chopra predicts which 4 teams will reach the playoffs

Aakash Chopra has made his prediction for the teams that are likely to reach the IPL playoffs of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

The cricketer-turned-broadcaster, speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, first chose Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC) as the obvious picks. He then backed Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to finish third, followed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Aakash Chopra warned of a possible "self-goal" from the Eoin Morgan-led franchise, but said that Andre Russell's recovery or the skipper's return to form could help them stave off anything like that. Aakash Chopra said:

"Chennai, Delhi there's no doubt about that. Third, hopefully, Bangalore will qualify. For fourth, there's going to be a fight between Mumbai and Kolkata. I have a strong feeling that if Kolkata doesn't hit a self-goal, they'll make it. If Russell is fit then there will be no self-goal but it can happen here because the captain is in zero form. However, it's Eoin Morgan, a big player, so it's also possible that he might turnaround his form and give a strong finish."

CSK and DC, who are currently tied at 16 points in the IPL points table, have consistently exchanged the top spot among themselves in IPL 2021. They need just one win each to guarantee a qualifier's berth. RCB have followed them closely and are now trying their best to make a top-two finish.

Meanwhile, KKR and the Mumbai Indians (MI) have led the mid-table battle with 10 points after an equal number of games. Although both teams won't go head-to-head in the league stage anymore, they have set up an exciting contest for the business end of the tournament.

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"Mumbai isn't looking like the 'Paltan' of the old" - Aakash Chopra

Explaining his choice of KKR over MI, Aakash Chopra said the defending IPL champions haven't looked like the 'Paltan' of the old this season. He also noted that MI still have to face DC in the tournament whereas KKR have an easier path in front of them, giving the 2-time champions a substantial edge.

Aakash Chopra remarked:

"I am tilting towards Kolkata for a simple reason that Mumbai isn't looking like the 'Paltan' of the old. Yeah, you won against Punjab but even that wasn't convincing. They are winning all games scrappingly, which isn't like them. They still have one game to go against Delhi which is the next game only in Sharjah. If you lose this, you won't have luck on your side because Kolkata's all matches are against teams placed below them. Kolkata have got something going for them, for Mumbai, there's something not going for them."

CSK will make an attempt to confirm their qualification against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) today at 7:30 PM, punctuated by clashes between KKR and Punjab Kings (PBKS) and MI versus DC in the next two days.