IPL 2021: 'CSK, RCB can afford to lose couple of games,' says Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir. Picture/ AFP

The Indian Premier League 2021 season is all set to resume on September 19 with Chennai Super Kings facing Mumbai Indians.

Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show Game Plan, former Team India batsman Gautam Gambhir highlighted the teams that are likely to benefit from the second half of IPL 2021. "See again, Mumbai probably will be having that advantage, because first, they've won it last time in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in UAE, well, and they're going back to the same place and they're in a position where they can actually finish in the top two as well. If you look at other franchises, especially franchises like KKR or for that matter, even Sunrisers (SRH), it's pretty difficult for them to qualify or for that matter, even Punjab Kings. But if you ask me one franchise who's going to have an advantage with this break, is Mumbai Indians," Gautam Gambhir said.

Former Team India wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patel spoke on what CSK and RCB will be feeling before entering the second half of IPL 2021, "Definitely, I think there would be a jitter in CSK's mind, there would be jitters in probably RCB's mind. You know we're talking about teams like CSK, they wanted games behind their back, someone like Dhoni, like Raina, like Rayudu, like Robin Uthappa, they're not playing cricket throughout the year, but they're just getting into the groove, and they got this break. And teams like RCB you know, they need that momentum to start the tournament which they had, so I think these are the two teams which would be thinking, ‘Oh okay, we'll go again, and start from scratch'. This break for teams which are at 4,5,6, they would be thinking that they have a chance to come back, and teams who are in the 2nd or 3rd would be thinking that they have to start again as well," said Parthiv Patel.

Gautam Gambhir also spoke on why CSK and RCB can afford to lose couple of games in the second half of IPL 2021. "From CSK & RCB's point of view, I think they've gotten themselves into a position where they can actually afford to lose a couple of games. So, that's the reason why I said that Punjab Kings can't afford to do that, KKR can't afford to do that. Sunrisers can't afford to lose a single game if they want to qualify for the playoff, and that's the reason why they probably will still have an advantage, especially CSK and RCB, because they've brought themselves up to that position," Gambhir said.

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