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India's senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are in the twilight stages of their career. Having retired from T20Is after T20 World Cup 2024 triumph in Barbados, the duo play in the T20 format only in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ahead of the clash between five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Kohli opened up on his bond with Rohit.
On the eve of their clash at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, RCB talked about how their careers have grown in the last decade and a half. He revealed that they are often on the same page around the ideas they discuss about the game.
“I think it's a very natural thing to take place when you play with someone for so long, sharing so many insights about the game. Initially, you're learning from each other, growing in your careers probably at the same time, and sharing all kinds of questions and queries. There's a lot of back-and-forth that happens. Also, the fact that we've worked very closely in terms of the leadership for the team, so there were always ideas being discussed, and more or less, we ended up on the same page about the gut feeling of a particular situation in a game,” Kohli said in the video.
“There’s a trust factor that builds, where you rely on each other to do the job for the team. We've definitely enjoyed our time playing together for so long for India. We were able to make our careers that long because when we were young, it wasn't certain we would end up playing for 15 years. The journey has been long and consistent, and yes, very grateful and happy for all the memories and moments we've shared and continue to do so,” he added.
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RCB, MI head-to-head and position on IPL 2025 points table
RCB are currently placed second on the points table with two wins from three games. On the other hand, Hardik Pandya-led MI have had it tough. They are placed eighth with just one win from four games.
RCB and MI have played 33 games against each other. MI have had an upper hand with 19 wins. In the last season, they met once and MI won by seven wickets.
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Big boost for MI
MI's pace-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been cleared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He has joined the MI camp and there is a possibility that he may against RCB. Meanwhile, Rohit is recovering from a knee injury. There is a question mark over his availability.
Rohit's chance to surpass Dhoni
If Rohit plays against RCB, he will have a chance to surpass Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend who is the top run-scorer against the franchise. Dhoni has 894 runs followed by David Warner (862 runs) and Rohit (831 runs). Rohit has seven half-centuries against RCB.
Meanwhile, Kohli is the third-highest run-scorer against MI. He has 855 runs including five fifties. The first spot belongs to KL Rahul (950 runs) followed by former opener Shikhar Dhawan (901 runs).
