Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will welcome five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday for Match 52 of the Indian Premier League.
Sitting pretty in second spot in the IPL standings with 14 points to their name, RCB have a great opportunity to seal their playoff spot with a win against their archnemesis, who have already been knocked out of the tournament.
However, an RCB vs CSK fixture is never a ‘dead rubber’ as the two teams have shared an intense rivalry since the inception of the league, as superstar Virat Kohli would attest to.
Fan rivalry
Speaking to Star Sports ahead of Saturday’s blockbuster encounter, Kohli said: “I would say one team we’ve historically had the most intense games is CSK, especially when playing in Bengaluru. In Chennai, the fans make the stadium completely yellow.
CSK fans also travel in huge numbers, so they take a section just for themselves (at the Chinnaswamy stadium). So, there is rivalry between RCB and CSK fans in Bengaluru.”
Competitive game
The intensity of the battle is not just restricted to the stands as both teams have boasted some of the biggest names in the world of cricket, including MS Dhoni and Kohli himself.
The two sides have had some of the most exciting encounters in the history of the IPL over the years, and Kohli rates the excitement this matchup generates as his most favourite.
“Obviously, the game (RCB vs CSK) gets very intense and competitive. This environment (matchup) is the most exciting I’ve been a part of,” Kohli said.
RCB vs CSK IPL 2025
The two teams couldn’t have had a more contrasting time in an IPL season as RCB are in the vicinity of the IPL table summit while CSK are the basement boys in this year’s season, with just two wins from 10 matches.
While the path forward for both sides is all but decided- RCB are inches away from a playoff spot while CSK are knocked out of contention – Bengaluru will witness yet another exciting match between the two historical rivals.
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