Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be up against the five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a mega clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday evening with a spot for playoff qualification on the line.
RCB have made a stunning comeback in recent days with five consecutive wins after losing seven out of their initial eight games in the IPL this season. Meanwhile, CSK defeated the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at home to get one step closer to the playoffs.
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It is going to be a do or die game for both sides on Saturday evening, with CSK’s legendary keeper and former captain MS Dhoni possibly playing his last match against RCB before hanging up his boots.
In a recent interview with JioCinema, RCB’s former captain and one of Dhoni’s closest acquaintance in the Indian team, Virat Kohli opened up on the possibility of sharing the pitch with the veteran keeper for the last time
Will this be the last time we see Virat Kohli vs MS Dhoni?
RCB and CSK have been each other’s arch rivals since the beginning of the IPL with every encounter full of thrilling moments. RCB’s talisman Virat Kohli and CSK’s undisputed best, MS Dhoni have always had the competitive rivalry whenever they have stepped on the pitch against each other, but have held massive respect for each other as well.
Talking to JioCinema about the possibility of going against each other on the pitch one last time, Kohli recalled the moments wherein Dhoni had won matches for the Indian team, stating,
Mahi bhai and I will be playing again, maybe for the last time, who knows. It'll be a great moment for fans, we had a great partnership for India over the years. We all know how many matches he's finished and won the match for the team
READ MORE: What is Virat Kohli's record against CSK?
Apart from talking about sharing the pitch for the final time with Dhoni, Kohli also opened up on the two major defeats he suffered in 2016. First, the T20 World Cup loss from 2016, wherein India were knocked out in the semi-final by eventual champions, the West Indies, and the other being the IPL final loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
“I had two heartbreaks in my life in 2016. First was the WT20 and then the IPL Final. It took me a few days to get over the WT20 loss, because I was in such a position that I thought I could do it for India,” Virat stated.
What did Virat Kohli say on the impact player rule?
Earlier amidst the IPL, Indian skipper and former Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper, Rohit Sharma criticized the Impact Player rule, stating that the rule had resulted in the under development of all-rounders like Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube who get minimal chances to bowl as teams can easily swap a pure batter or bowler according to their needs.
The Impact Player rule has also played a major role in teams scoring big this season, as the extra batsmen allows the players to take complete charge during the initial overs of the game. Kohli pointed this out and agreed with Rohit, stating
I agree with Rohit Sharma on the impact player rule. The bowlers feel like every ball is a 4 or a 6 now, I know Jay Shah has said they'll be reviewing this after the season, so let's see.
Kohli will be up against CSK on Saturday evening and will need to be at his very best to take RCB to the qualifying round. The game promises to be a thriller and only time can tell which of the two sides will make it to the playoff round of this season’s IPL.
READ MORE: How can RCB qualify for IPL 2024 playoffs?
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