IPL fever is in the air, and we've got all the juiciest scoops sizzling hotter than a stadium packed with screaming fans! So, grab your popcorn or biryani, no judgment and let's jump right in.
Now, here’s a spicy one— Is RCB overdependent on Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar? We’ve all pondered this at some point, haven’t we? Well, guess what? Someone actually asked Chennai Super Kings' head coach, Stephen Fleming, this very question during a media interaction. And his response? Oh, you’re going to want to read this.
"Certainly looking at their team Kohli is, a big part of it, but they've strengthened their team as most franchises have. I think the competition is really even this year. But there are certainly two players if we keep quiet, it helps to win," said Fleming.
And then there's the curious case of Matheesha Pathirana.—CSK’s own ‘Baby Malinga’ gone MIA! The Sri Lankan speedster was nowhere to be seen in CSK’s IPL 2025 opener against Mumbai Indians, and now, surprise, surprise— Stephen Fleming has confirmed he won’t be suiting up against RCB either.
While the CSK head coach did say that "Pathirana was progressing nicely," but when it came to spilling the actual tea on the injury? Radio silence. No hints, no clues—just pure mystery.
Is this cricket or a detective novel? Someone get Sherlock on the case!
Moving on, Virat Kohli and spin—it's the debate that just won’t retire! Critics love bringing up his so-called ‘Achilles heel’ against the tweakers, but guess who’s not having any of it? RCB mentor Dinesh Karthik, who swooped in like a true wingman to back King Kohli.
"He's coming off some serious runs in the Champions Trophy. He has batted well recently against spin, especially in white-ball cricket. So, I don't want to go too deep into stats. I'm not very aware, but if I remember, in the World Cup final, he got runs where it mattered. And apart from that, in the Champions Trophy, he had a good tournament, second-highest run-getter. And that doesn't come without playing spin because, in Dubai, as you all know how well it helped the spinners, he was very aware. So, I believe right now, he is batting as well as he has ever done," DK said in the pre-match press conference.
In fact, he spilt the beans—Kohli is busy cooking up something special! Just when bowlers thought they had him figured out, plot twist!
"Even today, just now as I came out, he wanted to work on one more shot. At this point in time, to work on one more shot tells you the hunger that he has in his mindset. He wants to just improve and keep raising the bar. So, he is a special player. And at this point in time, the way I see it, he is batting as confidently and as well as he has ever done in the IPL," Karthik concluded.
