Aakash Chopra, a former cricket player for India, believes that this will complicate matters, particularly for the fielders who are trying to see the white ball. Instead of wearing white jerseys or t-shirts, the cricketer-turned-commentator proposed that the supporters don the No. 18 RCB jersey, which has become iconic due to Kohli.
According to reports, fans at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will honour Virat Kohli, who announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 12, by donning white jerseys or t-shirts during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) vs. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL 2025 match.
There have also been reports of a large sale of white T-shirts. That kind of preparation has been put in place to say goodbye to Virat Kohli as his Test career comes to an end. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Chopra stated, “I am saying do it thoughtfully because the ball will get lost in white T-shirts.”
Wear the RCB jersey, keep the tricolour close to your heart, and get Kohli’s name on it. If everyone is dressed in white, who will field? When making catches, the ball will strike the face. The viewers will lose sight of the ball. Therefore, exercise a little extra caution,” he continued.
Aakash Chopra draws attention to the RCB’s selection dilemma.
Aakash Chopra stated that if RCB want to employ injured Devdutt Padikkal in the playoffs, they should start Mayank Agarwal at number three against KKR. The 47-year-old believed that the Rajat Patidar-led team would fare well in the final stages of the competition if Agarwal could find some form.
“From RCB’s perspective, they need to respond to two questions. The first is: who will take Devdutt Padikkal’s place? Mayank Agarwal is still on the team. If you see him playing in the playoffs, you should definitely play him in this match. To avoid form problems as you are nearing the playoffs, play him the game, get him to score runs, and get him in form,” he stated.
Additionally, Aakash Chopra believes that Patidar might be moved to No. 3 and all-rounder Manoj Bhandage used in the lower-middle order by RCB.
“In the playoffs, you ought to make an effort to play the team you wish to field. Additionally, the batting order that was seen wasn’t that horrible. Following Virat Kohli with Phil Salt, there was Rajat Patidar at number three, Jitesh Sharma at number four, Tim David at number five, Romario Shepherd at number six, and Krunal Pandya. Manoj Bhandage would then need to remain on the team. You can also decide to proceed in that direction,” Aakash Chopra said.
Since Lungi Ngidi won’t be available in the playoffs owing to national obligations, he suggested substituting Sri Lankan seamer Nuwan Thushara for Ngidi in league games. In the event that Josh Hazlewood is unable to return, Aakash Chopra believes that allowing Thushara to participate during the round-robin stage will benefit him in the postseason.
“From the standpoint of bowling, Lungi Ngidi is there for the time being. Since he won’t be playing in the playoffs and you don’t know about Josh Hazlewood, consider Nuwan Thushara instead. If not, when will you play him? He took wickets in the most recent game against CSK. He went on to say, “I believe Phil Salt, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, and Lungi Ngidi/Nuwan Thushara will be the four overseas.
India
