'This ground is going to erupt' - Aakash Chopra predicts huge roar for three Indian cricketers in Bengaluru T20I

The Indian side is set to face South Africa in the fifth and final T20I match against South Africa at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Sunday night. The series is currently levelled on 2-2 after the home side made a fantastic comeback despite losing the first two matches in a row. South Africa are currently under the pump after back-to-back defeats, and India will be looking to carry on their momentum to the last match in Bangalore.

Chinnaswamy Stadium is home to the Indian Premier League (IPL) giants Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). RCB have never won the IPL trophy in fifteen years but have a great following. The poster boy of RCB, Virat Kohli, is rested for this series but there are two current and one former RCBians playing for the team India in this series. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that the Bangalore crowd will bring more voice to three Indian players Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, and Dinesh Karthik at Chinnaswamy Stadium.

“This ground is going to erupt for three people – first is Yuzi Chahal because he is a former RCBian. After that, it is going to go absolutely berserk for Dinesh Karthik because of the kind of form he is in. If he is the Indian team’s star, he is also RCB’s pride. Harshal Patel – Purple Patel last year and this year again he was very good,” Aakash Chopra said on his Youtube Channel.

It is a homecoming of sorts for Yuzvendra Chahal: Aakash Chopra

Harshal Patel and Dinesh Karthik were brilliant in RCB’s IPL 2022 campaign as the team reached the playoffs. Both players carried that momentum in South Africa series as well. While Harshal is leading the most wickets chart with seven wickets, Karthik is finishing games at a strike rate of 158.62 so far. Former RCBian Yuzvendra Chahal is also enjoying a good form in this series and all three players will be the part of the final T20I match of this series.

Notably, Chahal burst onto the scenes with his performances for RCB in IPL. The franchise played a big gamble by not retaining the leg spinner for IPL 2022 but  he contines to be a celebrated figure among Bangalore fans.

“Home ground for Yuzi, his old franchise. He has 51 wickets on this ground, the most by any bowler. He has been very good. In fact, he played for India because on such a small ground, where it is said that there is a board outside saying no entry for bowlers, Yuzi Chahal is not hit. It is a homecoming of sorts for Yuzi Chahal,” Chopra added.