"RCB have lost more" - Aakash Chopra on their IPL 2025 clash vs KKR getting rained off

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have lost more due to their IPL 2025 clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) getting rained off. He noted that the potential lost point could cost Rajat Patidar and company a top-two finish after the league phase.

Match 58 of IPL 2025 between RCB and KKR in Bengaluru on Saturday (May 17) was abandoned without a ball bowled. Resultantly, the hosts, with 17 points, moved to the top of the points table and the visitors were eliminated from the playoff race.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener reckoned that RCB were disadvantaged more because of the no-result in their IPL 2025 home game against KKR.

"When I look at it from RCB's perspective, I feel this match should have happened because you played your last match on May 3. So it's been a long time since you played. Your players are also going, Devdutt Padikkal and Josh Hazlewood are missing, so you want to start playing," Chopra said (2:25).

"You need to reach 21 points. They can still reach there. The last match is theirs. It's against Lucknow. However, the Hyderabad match is also in Bengaluru. If that also gets rained off, you will reach 18 points. You would qualify, but even if you reach 20 points after the last match, you might not finish in the top two. So I feel RCB have lost more, if you look at it from that point of view," he added.

Aakash Chopra pointed out that RCB need to finish in the top two to enhance their chances of winning a maiden IPL title. He highlighted that the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) have been the only team to bag an IPL trophy after playing the Eliminator, doing so in 2016.

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"You have such a lengthy batting lineup, but you couldn't use that properly" - Aakash Chopra on KKR's IPL 2025 exit

KKR became the fourth team to be eliminated from the IPL 2025 playoff race. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that KKR's slim IPL 2025 playoffs hopes have ended, highlighting that they failed to utilize their batting depth effectively.

"I had less expectations from Kolkata. Technically, they were still in the game. They wouldn't have qualified with 15 points. Now they are eliminated. There are a few prima facie things. You have such a lengthy batting lineup, but you couldn't use that properly," he said (3:15).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the three-time champions might not be able to address their issues easily in the mini-auction.

"Your batters didn't get to play the entire overs properly. If we talk about bowling, you couldn't use the overseas fast bowler well. Interestingly, when they think about how to ace the mini-auction, they won't have an answer to it. Their problems won't be addressed that easily because they are not that glaring," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra also questioned why RCB's home games weren't rescheduled out of Bengaluru, just like it was done for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the SunRisers Hyderabad, due to potential rain. While acknowledging that the Chinnaswamy Stadium has a great drainage system, he added that it could only have been effective if the rain had stopped.