"After Mumbai Indians, this is the second match we look forward to" - Ruturaj Gaikwad on CSK's rivalry with popular IPL franchise

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said that the team looked forward to playing against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) the most after Mumbai Indians (MI).

CSK and RCB will take on each other in Chennai on Friday, March 28. Ahead of the fixture, Gaikwad said that any match with Virat Kohli in the opposition was one to look forward to.

"They have done really well every year now. And whenever Virat Kohli is in the opposition, whenever he is playing, it is always a clash to look forward to. So, it is always a great match, and after Mumbai Indians, this is the second match we always look forward to," Gaikwad said on JioStar's "Star Nahi Far" initiative (via Times of India).

The 28-year-old revealed that he had wished Rajat Patidar "good luck" after he was appointed RCB's new captain in February. He also said that both of them had been "friends for a while now" and knew "each other really well."

"Really looking forward to playing against RCB, especially with Rajat (Patidar) as the new captain. Immediately when they announced Rajat as the captain, I messaged him and wished him good luck. We have been friends for a while now, we know each other really well, and obviously, RCB has been one of the strongest teams," the right-hander added.

RCB, CSK look to maintain winning momentum in IPL 2025

RCB and CSK come into the fixture having won their respective opening matches of IPL 2025. Both teams will look to maintain their winning momentum on Friday and build on their strong start to the season.

RCB have not won in Chennai since 2008 and trail 11-21 in the head-to-head against CSK. CSK have won four out of their last five IPL matches against RCB. Their only defeat in these five encounters came in Bengaluru in IPL 2024 when they lost by 27 runs, which ensured the RCB qualified for the Playoffs.

Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has said that CSK's spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmed will prove to be a handful against RCB on Friday. He also felt that the three-time IPL finalists would need to alter their team to counter CSK's strengths, if they are to win only their second match in Chepauk on Friday.