"It seems like they are hard done by" - Aakash Chopra on RCB's schedule for remainder of IPL 2025

Former India player Aakash Chopra has noted that the revised schedule for the remainder of IPL 2025 has seemingly disadvantaged the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). However, he opined that the change has instead benefited the three-time runners-up.

With 16 points from 11 games, RCB are placed second on the IPL 2025 points table. They will face the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Bengaluru on May 17 and May 23, respectively. They will finish their league phase engagements with a clash against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow on May 27.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener observed that the revised IPL 2025 schedule has apparently disadvantaged RCB as they are not playing their last league game at home anymore.

"RCB were supposed to play their last game at home. That match was against KKR. Now that's not the case. They will play their home matches first now, and their last match will be against Lucknow in Lucknow. If you see it from that point of view, they are hard done by," he said (4:00).

However, the cricketer-turned-commentator reckoned that the new schedule has advantaged Rajat Patidar and company.

"However, I am saying they have benefited. They don't play very well at home in any case, and they haven't yet lost away. They have won all six. More importantly, they are playing the league's last game. The last league game is RCB vs LSG," Chopra reasoned.

"If RCB need to reach a particular net run rate to qualify for the top two at that stage, I am just hoping that the qualification would have happened by then and even if it wouldn't have, they would know the margin with which they would need to win to qualify or finish in the top two," he added.

RCB will be guaranteed a playoff berth if they win any of their three remaining league games. However, they would want to finish in the top two to secure a spot in Qualifier 1.

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"It could be a problem for them" - Aakash Chopra on GT's schedule for remainder of IPL 2025

The Gujarat Titans are perched atop the IPL 2025 points table. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the revised IPL 2025 schedule has potentially disadvantaged the Gujarat Titans (GT).

"Gujarat had a match on the last day. Not the last match, but they had an afternoon match on the last league day. Now that's not the case. Now they don't have it on the second-last or the last day. So it could be a problem for them for sure because what is in RCB's benefit was in GT's benefit earlier, but it's no longer in GT's benefit. The good thing for GT is that their home games remain at home," he explained (5:35).

The Gujarat Titans will face the Delhi Capitals (DC) in Delhi on May 18. They will finish their league phase engagements with clashes against the Lucknow Super Giants and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Ahmedabad on May 22 and May 25, respectively.