The Indian Premier League (IPL) may not have begun yet, but the rivalries certainly have. The first match of the twelfth edition of the IPL is set to be held on March 23 between Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Chennai Super Kings in Chennai, but things have begun to heat up between the two teams.
Soon after the schedule for the first two weeks of the IPL was released on Tuesday, Royal Challengers Bangalore decided that it was time for the trash-talking to begin. “A spicy south Indian Derby for starters - but we prefer the sweet sambar…,” the team’s handle tweeted.
A spicy south Indian Derby for starters - but we prefer the sweet sambar...
— Royal Challengers (@RCBTweets) February 19, 2019
Our VIVO IPL 2019 begins away from Bengaluru on Day 1 #PlayBold
Chennai Super Kings wasn’t one to be left behind, with a comeback pointing to their own yellow jerseys. “But sambar is always #Yellove in colour no?” CSK replied, possibly igniting an age-old debate — which sambar is better? (The answer is the sambar from Tamil Nadu. Sambar should NOT be sweet. Anyway.)
But sambar is always #Yellove in colour no? https://t.co/f5Rw9ZtpH6
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) February 19, 2019
The exchange then divided fans, who then began rooting for their respective teams.
so we are starting at chennai and lifting the cup at chennai again.... nice... ESCN
— Sleepy Sage. (@kanakarsanjay) February 19, 2019
Can't wait for both legend @ABdeVilliers17 @imVkohli thalaivaaaaaa seirom namma
— Thala Veriyan Vk (@thalaveriyanvk) February 19, 2019
If it’s sweet it’s not sambar.
— Yaash Jain (@yaash_jain) February 19, 2019
Even shit is yellow in colour.
— PV (@ramosesque9) February 19, 2019
Ee saala cup namde https://t.co/eb7dFMVALj
— Sampreet shetty (@Sampreethshett5) February 19, 2019
And hope that it ends with the trophy in our hands...#PlayBold pic.twitter.com/y5iDyn3vxs
— Kaustuv Reigns (@kaustuv_reigns) February 19, 2019
But if there’s one thing that both teams will agree upon is that it’s pronounced “sam-BAR", not "Sam-burr.” (We're looking at you, people north of the Vindhyas.)
The schedule was released only for the first two weeks as the dates for the Lok Sabha elections have not been announced.
“IPL released the schedule of the first two weeks (17 matches) of the 2019 Season. These are still subject to the announcement of the Lok Sabha 2019 election dates. Once these have been released BCCI will address any issues with the first two weeks and will also prepare a schedule for the remainder of the season working with the local authorities around the polling dates,” an IPL press release said.
CSK has won the IPL thrice since its inception in 2008, and both teams have gone head-to-head in the finals once in 2011. RCB has never won the IPL so far.