Bengaluru, May 05, 2025: With TATA IPL 2025 entering the high-stakes ‘Race to the Play-offs’ phase, all eyes are on the much-anticipated clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. In a candid conversation on ‘18 Calling 18’ – streaming exclusively on JioHotstar, RCB superstar Virat Kohli opens up about his journey in the league, the evolution of the TATA IPL, and why RCB vs CSK stands out as one of the most intense and electrifying encounters in the league.
Speaking on ‘18 Calling 18’ on JioHotstar, Virat Kohli shared his thoughts on playing against Chennai Super Kings at home in Bengaluru:
“I would say one team that, historically, I’ve felt we’ve had the most intense games with is Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru. Because in Chennai, of course, there are Chennai fans—it’s just yellow and CSK fans everywhere. But to play against CSK in Bengaluru is something else, because a lot of Chennai fans come to Bengaluru. CSK fans travel in huge numbers, so they buy tickets very early and take over a section of the stadium. So, there’s an intense atmosphere inside the stadium in Bengaluru when playing against CSK. And then, obviously, the game also gets very intense and competitive. That environment is the most exciting I’ve been a part of.”
Reflecting on the league’s journey over the years, Kohli also spoke about the TATA IPL turning 18:
“It’s been a long journey—one that we have seen grow, evolve, and become this amazing spectacle. Honestly, when IPL started, I never thought it could reach a stage like this. But 18 years and rolling, and every year you feel the same excitement, if not more, which is a massive credit to the league, the way it’s organized, the teams, the competitiveness, and the professionalism—top-notch.”
Kohli also reminisced about his excitement during the inaugural IPL season in 2008 and how surreal the experience was:
“The first year was exciting in terms of unexpected things happening. We hadn’t played a lot of T20 cricket. Secondly, franchise cricket allowed us to play with different players from all over the world—players we looked up to. And when the auction happened, we were in Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur, and we were sold as first-class cricketers, who were limited to ₹20 lakhs. We went crazy in the corridor—‘We got ₹20 lakhs!’ That was the emotion behind it. Because we didn’t know what to expect—the opening ceremony, the whole experience of meeting great cricketers—it was surreal.”
Catch Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings at 7:30 PM today, as teams race to the TATA IPL play-offs, live and exclusive on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network
