"Whenever Virat Kohli is in the opposition, it is always a clash to look forward to," said Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of their clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday evening.
Speaking exclusively on JioStar's "Star Nahi Far" initiative, Ruturaj Gaikwad said, "Whenever Virat Kohli is in the opposition, whenever he is playing, it is always a clash to look forward to. He’s been doing it for a really long time now, consistently for RCB and for the country as well. So, it is always a great match, and after Mumbai Indians, this is the second match we always look forward to."
"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. They have done really well every year now," he added.
Meanwhile, a press statement from JioHotstar said that the 18th edition of TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed unprecedented viewership across JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.
With a cumulative watch time of 4,956 crore minutes, JioStar Network has set new benchmarks.
On JioHotstar, digital viewership of the first 3 matches was 40 percent higher than last season, fueled by a 54 percent surge in CTV consumption. With 137 crore views, peak concurrency of 3.4 crore, and a staggering 2,186 crore minutes of watch time from just the first 3 matches of IPL 2025, JioHotstar continues to set new benchmarks, capturing the pulse of the nation like never before, the statement added.
Furthermore, on television, as per BARC data, the opening weekend of TATA IPL 2025 set new records, drawing over 25.3 crore viewers and clocking an unprecedented 2,770 crore minutes of watch time - a 22 percent surge from last year. The average TVR for the first three matches was up by 39 percent compared to the previous season.