Virat Kohli Shares Insights on RCB Teammates Swastik Chikara and Jitesh Sharma
Swastik Chikara's Impact in RCB's Dressing Room
Although Swastik Chikara has yet to make his debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025, he is already leaving a mark in the team's dressing room, as noted by Virat Kohli.
The young cricketer from Uttar Pradesh, who previously played for the Delhi Capitals, refers to Kohli as his 'big brother' and enjoys his company. However, Kohli seems to find the constant attention a bit overwhelming.
In a humorous video shared by RCB on social media, Kohli was asked to identify a teammate he would prefer or not prefer to share a room with.
"I wouldn't say it's Swastik Chikara. Because he doesn't leave me alone, so, definitely not him," Kohli responded.
Despite not yet playing this season, the 20-year-old has caught the eye with his performance in the Uttar Pradesh T20 League, where he scored 499 runs in just 12 innings. Originating from Ghaziabad, Swastik is eagerly awaiting his chance in the competitive RCB squad.
Kohli's Preference for Jitesh Sharma
While Kohli dismissed the idea of sharing a room with Swastik, he expressed a desire to spend more time with RCB's new signing, Jitesh Sharma.
Sharma, who joined the team for INR 11 crore during the IPL 2025 auction, has consistently performed well whenever given the chance.
"But one guy I think is really funny, but he's not opened up with me properly, is Jitesh [Sharma]. I would want to see that really fun, raw side of him because I can see it in his eyes, he's got that mischief about him. He's very street smart, you can see on the field, he finds different ways of looking at things. So, I would like to get to know him more," Kohli shared.
Jitesh has already played in 50 IPL matches, accumulating 851 runs at an impressive strike rate of 150.6. In the current season, he has contributed 121 runs at a strike rate of 147.56, enhancing the depth of RCB's middle order.
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RCB is set to return to the field on Saturday against Chennai Super Kings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. With seven victories out of ten matches, the team, led by Faf du Plessis, currently occupies the third position on the points table.