IPL 2025: “Whenever Virat Kohli is playing, it is clash to look forward to”- Ruturaj Gaikwad

Gaikwad calls RCB “one of the strongest sides” and says playing against Kohli is always a match to look forward to, as Chennai face Bangalore in their second IPL 2025 game.

New Delhi, March 28: As Chennai Super Kings (CSK) gear up to face Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in what promises to be one of the marquee clashes of IPL 2025, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad opened up about the upcoming match, his bond with new RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, and the experience of sharing the field with Virat Kohli.

Speaking to Jio Star ahead of the high-voltage clash, Gaikwad said,

“Really looking forward to playing against RCB, especially with Rajat as the new captain. I messaged him immediately when the announcement was made — we’ve been friends for a while now, and it’s always special to play against a team as strong as RCB.”

He added,

“And whenever Virat Kohli is in the opposition, it’s always a clash to look forward to. He’s been doing it for a really long time, for RCB and India — it brings extra excitement to the match. After Mumbai Indians, this is the other game we always circle on the calendar.”

CSK, who started their season with a win, will host RCB at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) on March 28. RCB enter the contest on the back of a convincing win over Kolkata Knight Riders, adding to the build-up for this much-anticipated southern derby.

🟡 CSK Squad

Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth, Shaikh Rasheed, Devon Conway, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Rachin Ravindra, R. Ashwin, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Gurjapneet Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shreyas Gopal, Noor Ahmad

🔴 RCB Squad

Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethel, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh

The CSK vs RCB rivalry has always delivered drama and fireworks, and with both teams in form and marquee players in focus, tonight’s showdown at Chepauk is expected to be no different.