Star Indian batter Virat Kohli named the most intense rivals of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. Speaking to Jio Hotstar in an interview, the former RCB skipper named the Chennai Super Kings as the team against which his side has historically played its most intense and competitive games. Kohli noted that while playing in Chennai is naturally intense due to the sea of yellow, the dynamic in Bengaluru is unique because large numbers of CSK fans travel there, buy tickets early, and "take over" sections of the stadium.
“A lot of fans from Chennai are also there, which creates some tension. Because in Chennai, it's all yellow as they do not let anyone else enter, and in Bengaluru, a lot of CSK fans travel from Chennai, in huge numbers, and they buy the tickets very early. So the CSK vs RCB rivalry between the fans create the tension here in Bengaluru,”, the player said
The CSK vs RCB rivalry at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is one of the most balanced and high-voltage matchups in the IPL, with both teams sharing an almost equal win record at the venue. Unlike their overall head-to-head record, where Chennai dominates, Bengaluru is the one ground where RCB historically holds a slight edge or remains neck-and-neck with their rivals.
RCB and CSK have played some of the most thrilling and historical matches against each other. During the 2025 season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured a historic 50-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) on 28 March 2025. This win was significant as it ended RCB's 17-year winless streak at the venue, marking their first triumph there since the inaugural IPL season in 2008.
Not only the 2025 match, but the 2024 match is also regarded as one of the most thrilling matches between CSK and RCB as it is hailed one of the greatest comebacks in IPL. as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 27 runs to secure a playoff spot after starting the season with seven losses in their first eight games.
CSK to face RCB at home on April 5
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is scheduled to face Chennai Super Kings (CSK), 5 April 2026 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB enters the match as the defending champions and is currently in strong form, while CSK is struggling at the bottom of the table after losing its first two games.
RCB has played one match so far in their title defence, delivering a dominant performance
as they defeated the Sunrisers Hyderabad by 6 wickets on 28 March 2026. They chased down a target of 202 in just 15.4 overs, significantly boosting their Net Run Rate (NRR) to +2.907.
Meanwhile, CSK's campaign has been hampered by a struggling bowling unit that has failed to defend even substantial totals. In the first match against the Rajasthan Royals CSK was restricted to 127 runs, which Rajasthan chased down easily in just 12.1 overs, winning by 8 wickets. While playing against the Punjab Kings, the team posted a formidable 209/5, fueled by 18-year-old Ayush Mhatre’s 73 off 43 balls; however, CSK’s bowlers could not contain Punjab. PBKS chased the target with 8 balls to spare, winning by 5 wickets.
