‘Side Mein Aa Tereko…’ Virat Kohli Recalls Sledging Battle With Ishant Sharma During First-Ever IPL Match

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting stalwart Virat Kohli, who has dominated some of the best bowlers in IPL history, revealed the name of a pacer he found tough to handle. Virat Kohli was present on the field during the historic opening match of the IPL at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where RCB faced Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and in a recent revelation, Kohli shared an untold story from that very first IPL game.

Virat Kohli recently looked back on his sledging exchange with Ishant Sharma during the inaugural IPL match between RCB and KKR in IPL 2008. Recalling the moment, Kohli said Ishant—riding high on confidence after the Australia tour and sporting a new hairstyle—tried to rattle him, but he didn’t hold back either.

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In a chat on '18 Calling 18' on JioHotstar, Virat Kohli shared that despite facing Ishant Sharma countless times in the nets as Delhi Ranji teammates, it was the electrifying atmosphere in Kolkata that made Ishant feel intimidating, as Kohli found himself struggling against the India pacer.

"The interesting thing, which I've never spoken about, is that Ishant and I played all our cricket together, so I have faced him a lot. But in that game, I felt he was bowling at a different level, and that was the pressure. That is what environment means. Had I faced him in the nets, I wouldn't have been intimidated, but that day, I felt like I couldn't hit any of his deliveries, and that was because of the atmosphere and the pressure," Kohli said.

"I Said, 'Side Mein Aa Mein Tereko Batata Hu'": Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli recalled that Ishant Sharma sledged him during their first IPL clash and how Kohli fired back with a cheeky, “side mein aa mein tereko batata hu.”

"We were staying in different hotels, so there was no conversation about the game. But yes, he was sledging a lot. I mean, seriously...he just came back from Australia, had that new hairstyle, so he had that star attitude. I said, 'side mein aa mein tereko batata hu'. But all fun and games," Kohli further added.

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