‘I think he will show that…’ – Former Indian coach warns KL Rahul and Delhi Capitals of retribution from Virat Kohli

Delhi Capitals (DC) are set to host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a key encounter of IPL 2025 on Sunday night. The game will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, which is originally Virat Kohli’s home ground. The focus will be on the former RCB skipper as well as Delhi Capitals’ wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul. 

The last time these two sides met was at the Chinnaswamy Stadium; DC won the game by five wickets. KL Rahul had scored 93 not out and came up with an animated celebration after hitting the winning runs. Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar has warned that Kohli could take revenge for Rahul’s actions from the previous game. 

During his chat on Star Sports, the former Indian coach said, “I think Virat would do a little bit differently. I think he will show that 'OK, that pavilion in which you're sitting, it's mine.' Who's the boss? Virat is the boss there.” Virat Kohli, who plays domestic cricket for Delhi, was picked by RCB in the first auction and has spent his entire IPL career at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. 

KL Rahul reveals heartbreak of losing IPL 2016 finals 

It is to be noted that for a while Kohli and Rahul shared the same dressing room at RCB. The two played in the 2016 finals in front of their home crowd against Sunrisers Hyderabad. It was David Warner’s men who went on to win the title by nine runs in what was a heartbreaking loss for RCB. 

Recalling the game during his chat with Star Sports, Rahul said, “Virat and I have spoken about it many times. If one of us had played a little longer and won that game, it would have been very different. And winning an IPL is so special, That 2016 season was very special for RCB. We were at the bottom of the table and had to win seven games in a row to qualify, and we did. We went on to win the eliminator and made it to the final.”

The 33-year-old also went onto add that if either of the batters had stayed longer at the crease the result would have been different. KL Rahul also spoke about seeing some of the stalwarts train that inspired him to get better. “If one of us had stayed longer, it could have been a very different story. Winning at home in Chinnaswamy would have been unforgettable. Watching how Virat, AB, and Chris trained and approached the game was the best learning experience. I picked up so much from them — from fitness to mental toughness”