Home
Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star batter Ambati Rayudu has turned heads with his latest comment on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 which is set to start from March 22. Rayudu, who concluded his IPL career in 2023 with CSK's title triumph for, also boasts a successful tenure with Mumbai Indians (MI), where he clinched multiple titles. As anticipation builds for the IPL 2025 season Rayudu has made it clear that while he holds no specific preference for a winning team, he definitively hopes it will not be RCB.
Ambati Rayudu doesn't want RCB to win IPL title
While saying that RCB's prolonged quest for an IPL title might eventually come to an end, Rayudu playfully expressed his desire for that moment to be delayed, specifically hoping it won't happen in the upcoming season. He hinted at a preference for CSK to win, as many speculate that the 2025 season could be MS Dhoni's final appearance on the field.
RCB has cultivated a reputation for its fervent fanbase and roster of high-profile players. Despite coming tantalizingly close to title on multiple occasions, the franchise has yet to secure the coveted IPL trophy. As they approach the IPL 2025 season under the leadership of newly appointed captain Rajat Patidar, RCB supporters are hopeful for a change in fortunes. However, Ambati Rayudu's recent comments have dampened RCB's enthusiasm. He openly stated that he would 'pray' RCB don't win the IPL title this year.
“I feel it's a matter of time, they (RCB) will get the trophy. But definitely, I just hope and pray that year doesn't come (laughing),” Rayudu said on the Raw Talks podcast.
Rayudu also talked about Robin Uthappa's claim regarding Virat Kohli's influence on his exclusion from the 2019 ODI World Cup squad. Rayudu categorically refuted these claims, providing a contrasting narrative. He clarified that, contrary to Uthappa's allegations, Kohli was actually a staunch supporter of his, and played a role in facilitating his return to the Indian national team.
“What Uthappa was trying to say is that Kohli has strong likes and dislikes. But in my case, Kohli was the one who backed me. He liked me. When I was there at his captaincy, we played many games for India," Rayudu added.
“What Uthappa mentioned was that during his captaincy, he made mistakes. It's not about preferences, but it's about logic, which may have been, at that point in time, not the right thing to do," he concluded.
RCB will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign with a clash against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 22.
RCB's IPL 2025 schedule
KKR vs RCB - 7:30 pm - March 22 - Kolkata
CSK vs RCB - 7:30 pm - March 28 - Chennai
RCB vs GT - 7:30 pm - April 2 - Bengaluru
MI vs RCB - 7:30 pm - April 7 - Mumbai
RCB vs DC - 7:30 pm - April 10 - Bengaluru
RR vs RCB - 3:30 pm - April 13 - Jaipur
RCB vs PBKS - 7:30 pm - April 18 - Bengaluru
PBKS vs RCB - 3:30 pm - April 20 - Mullanpur
RCB vs RR - 7:30 pm - April 24 - Bengaluru
DC vs RCB - 7:30 pm - April 27 - Delhi
RCB vs CSK - 7:30 pm - May 3 - Bengaluru
LSG vs RCB - 7:30 pm - May 9 - Lucknow
RCB vs SRH - 7:30 pm - May 13 - Bengaluru
RCB vs KKR - 7:30 pm - May 17 - Bengaluru
RCB's IPL 2025 squad
Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee
