The clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 10 of the 2024 Indian Premier League carries an extra layer of intensity, fueled by the history between former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir and RCB superstar Virat Kohli. Gambhir's return to KKR ahead of the 2024 season, this time as a mentor, is set to reignite the longstanding rivalry between him and Kohli.

Their past encounters, characterized by heated exchanges and on-field confrontations, have left a lingering tension between the two. One notable incident occurred last season when Gambhir, then associated with Lucknow Super Giants, engaged in a heated argument with Kohli after the match, requiring intervention from team members to prevent escalation.

The rivalry between Gambhir and Kohli dates back to the 2013 season, where tensions reached a boiling point during a match between RCB and KKR. Kohli's dismissal led to an ugly altercation between the two. Thanks to their past clashes, the anticipation surrounding their face-off continues to captivate fans and pundits alike.

As the two sides prepare to square off in Bengaluru, the anticipation surrounding the Gambhir-Kohli rivalry remains a focal point of discussion. KKR also reserved a subtle nod to the rivalry on their official social media account; they posted two pictures in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The first showed Gambhir in the forefront with a blurred figure in the background; when the photo becomes clear, it shows Virat Kohli staring in Gambhir's direction.

KKR captioned the post, “Cricket images that hit hard.”

The Knight Riders registered a narrow four-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening match of the season last week; RCB, meanwhile, made a strong comeback from the opening day loss against Chennai Super Kings to beat Shikhar Dhawan's Punjab Kings in a thrilling run-chase.

Kohli's return to run-scoring

The game against PBKS saw Virat Kohli make a brilliant return to run-scoring; he smashed 77 off just 49 deliveries and steered the RCB run-chase almost single-handedly for the most part of the innings before the duo of Dinesh Karthik and Mahipal Lomror produced an exhibition in power-hitting to secure the side's first win of the season.

Kohli was named the player of the match following his match-winning knock, and will aim to regain the Orange Cap with another strong performance on Friday.

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