Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) kicked off IPL 2025 with a bang, easily beating the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets at Eden Gardens. Virat Kohli was solid as always at the top of the batting order, and his new opening partner Phil Salt made quite the impression on his debut for RCB, especially since he was up against his old team. Now, Kohli and Salt are gearing up for a tougher challenge when RCB faces off against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this Friday.
The RCB players are feeling fresh after taking a six-day break since their opening match. They arrived in Chennai earlier this week and have been putting in the work at practice sessions. On Wednesday, RCB shared a fun video on social media showing Kohli signing autographs and taking selfies with fans at MA Chidambaram Stadium. While many fans were in CSK jerseys, Kohli was friendly and accommodating. At the end of the video, a CSK fan even wished him luck for the upcoming game.
In other news, Punjab Kings all-rounder Marcus Stoinis mentioned that he still keeps in touch with Kohli and enjoys following his impressive career. Their friendship goes back to their U-19 days when Kohli led his team to the World Cup title in 2008. Stoinis said, We’ve known each other for a long time. We have a mutual friend in Perth who’s known him for ages. That’s how our connection started.
He added, What a great career it’s been so far. It’s definitely not over. He came into the Indian team at a young age with so much confidence, later leading the team and changing the culture of Indian cricket, inspiring a lot of young players. He also set new standards in fitness for the Indian setup and is now mentoring the next generation. I give him a lot of credit for everything he’s achieved.”
