In an unexpected turn of events within the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) camp, 19-year-old batter Swastik Chikara left his teammates in stitches with his audacious antics in the dressing room.
According to a video shared by RCB, Chikara brazenly rummaged through franchise icon Virat Kohli's bag and unabashedly sprayed himself with Kohli's perfume right in front of the man himself.
This bold move left pacer Yash Dayal and RCB captain Rajat Patidar visibly astonished, with neither having anticipated such a breach of privacy.
Dayal recounted, "We were sitting in the dressing room after our last game in Kolkata. He just went up to Virat Kohli's bag, took out a perfume bottle, and used it without asking. Everyone started laughing. He was just sitting there, completely casual."
Patidar, who captained RCB to their first IPL 2025 victory against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), added, "Virat bhai was right there. I was wondering what this guy is doing."
While some of Chikara's teammates might have found his actions unconventional, the young player's explanation suggested he was unfazed by Kohli's presence. "He's our elder brother, isn't he? I was just checking to make sure he doesn't use a bad one. So I tried it. When he asked how it was, I said it's nice. I was only checking it for him," Chikara rationalized.
Meanwhile, RCB savors a six-day hiatus between matches. Fresh from their victory over defending champions KKR, RCB is set to face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Friday.
In a formidable display, Kohli, with 59 not out off 36 balls, and Phil Salt, who scored 56 off 31 balls, forged a 95-run partnership for the opening wicket, helping RCB chase down KKR's challenging total of 174/8 in just 16.2 overs, finishing at 177 for three.
Earlier in the match, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane notched up a commendable 56, establishing a 103-run second-wicket partnership with Sunil Narine (44 off 26 balls), momentarily placing KKR in a strong position to surpass the 200-run mark.
However, RCB's bowlers, led exceptionally by left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya (3/29), staged a remarkable comeback, with pacer Josh Hazlewood also claiming two wickets, securing a commanding win for RCB.