Virat Kohli, the star batter of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), named the encounters with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as the most thrilling of his IPL journey. The RCB-CSK rivalry has consistently delivered electrifying moments on the field, further intensified by the passionate support from both fanbases.
Although CSK has the upper hand historically—with five IPL titles compared to RCB’s none—the recent clashes have swung slightly in Bengaluru’s favor. RCB trails CSK 12-21 across 34 matches, but they’ve come out on top in the last two meetings, offering a glimmer of hope.
In a conversation with JioStar (as reported by India Today), Kohli reflected on the intense rivalry between CSK & RCB:
“One team that we historically, I have felt, had tense games is playing CSK in Bengaluru. There, they will have Chennai fans. In Bengaluru, playing against CSK, a lot of fans from Chennai are also there. There is a bit of tension. In their stadium, it’s full of CSK fans. Here, in Bengaluru, people are like ‘Okay, come see the game’. There, it’s full of yellow. Our fans don’t travel as much.”
He further continued:
“CSK fans also travel a lot; we all know that. They buy tickets very early. They occupy a section (at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium). The game also gets very competitive. CSK vs RCB is the most exciting environment that I have been a part of.”
Virat Kohli Opens Up About Facing Sledging from Indian Bowler in First IPL Match
Star batter Virat Kohli, representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut during the inaugural season in 2008. Reflecting on that moment, Kohli recalled being on the receiving end of some sledging from pacer Ishant Sharma.
The inaugural IPL match between RCB and KKR in Bengaluru saw a young Virat Kohli face playful sledging from Ishant Sharma. In a chat with Jatin Sapru ahead of IPL 2025, Kohli recalled the light-hearted exchange after stepping in to bat following Rahul Dravid’s dismissal.
“We were staying in different hotels. There was not much conversation in this game. But yeah he was sledging me. He had come from Australia and was a star,” the RCB batter revealed (5:23).
He further added:
“Side mein aa, tere ko main batata hoon. (Come to the side, I will tell you) But all fun. Lot of pressure in this game I felt because I had never played in front of a packed stadium before,” he said (5:43)
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