Star batter Virat Kohli has shared why Indian Premier League (IPL) matches between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium always give extraordinary energy and competitive spirit to everyone.
Speaking in a video shared by Star Sports on social media, Virat Kohli said that the intensity of the matches comes not only from on-field rivalries but also from fan support as well. Notably, the video, which was shared by Stars Sports, was from last year.
Watch the video here:
“One team we’ve historically had the most intense games against, I feel, is CSK in Bengaluru, because when we play CSK, a lot of Chennai fans turn up here as well. At their stadium, there are just CSK fans everywhere. In Bengaluru, people are welcoming, like, ‘Come and see the game.’ But in Chennai, it’s all yellow, it’s like, ‘we won’t let you in,'” Virat Kohli said to JioStar.
He further added that while RCB fans rarely travel to Chennai, CSK fans make their presence felt in Bengaluru as well.
“They buy tickets very early and often end up occupying an entire section of the stadium. That creates a unique atmosphere in CSK vs RCB games, with the tension and banter between fans over who is louder. And, of course, the game itself becomes very intense and competitive. That environment, I would say, is the most exciting,” Kohli again said.
However, the defending champions, RCB, have started their IPL 2026 campaign on a winning note. RCB beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in the tournament opener. Virat Kohli played an unbeaten knock of 38-ball 69, including five fours and five sixes, that helped them chase down the challenging target of 202 runs in 15.4 overs as well.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad for IPL 2026:
Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (captain), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar, Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav, Vihaan Malhotra, Vicky Ostwal, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Swapnil Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal
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