The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) return to the Eden Gardens for the first time in four years to entertain the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), one of the most successful visiting teams at the Mecca of Indian cricket. RCB will arrive with momentum, after a thumping win against Mumbai Indians (MI) in their opener on Sunday, while KKR are still licking their wounds after a narrow defeat against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Saturday.
The two franchises have met 30 times over the past 15 seasons, with KKR just about edging the head-to-head with 16 wins, compared with RCB’s 14. This includes a run of five consecutive victories for KKR between 2017 and 2019. Virat Kohli tops the runs charts in this fixture with a whopping tally of 786, followed by Chris Gayle with 606 runs and AB de Villiers and Gautam Gambhir, both of whom scored 475 runs. Among the bowlers, Sunil Narine has the most scalps with 21, followed by Yuzvendra Chahal with 19 and Vinay Kumar with 17.
Before KKR and RCB renew their rivalry in 2023, My Kolkata would like to refresh your memories by revisiting three key moments from the KKR-RCB encounters over the years.
RCB scrape through in a low-scoring thriller
Wanindu Hasaranga was the difference when the two sides met in Mumbai last year TT Archives
When KKR met RCB in Mumbai last year, most expected a run fest. Instead, what ensued was a match that belonged to the bowlers. First, RCB restricted KKR to 128, thanks largely to a mesmerising spell of four for 20 by Wanindu Hasaranga. Then, KKR almost pulled off an unlikely defence, with the pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee breathing fire. Five wickets between the speedsters rattled RCB’s top order, but was not enough in the end, as vital cameos from Sherfane Rutherford, Shahbaz Ahmed and former Knights skipper Dinesh Karthik dragged RCB over the finish line.
Eden salutes King Kohli
Virat Kohli was at his dazzling best at the Eden Gardens in April 2019 TT Archives
For a batter of his pedigree, Kohli has not always saved his best for the Eden Gardens (unlike a certain Rohit Sharma). In April 2019, though, the then RCB captain went all guns blazing with one of the all-time great T20 knocks in Kolkata. Nine fours and four sixes decorated a blistering 100 off just 58 balls, as RCB piled on 213 runs. At four for 79 in the 12th over, KKR looked down and out, until Nitish Rana and Andre Russell almost produced one of the sensational comebacks in IPL history. Their stand of 118 for the fifth wicket unleashed plenty of fireworks but RCB eventually won the game by 10 runs.
McCullum mania on the day it all began
Brendon McCullum lit up the IPL’s debut with an unforgettable century TT Archives
It is the match that has been written about endlessly. It is also the match that never ceases to amaze. Not least because of how prophetic it feels with each passing year. On April 18, 2008, RCB hosted KKR for the first-ever IPL game. Novelty soon gave way to history as Brendon McCullum smashed his way to a scintillating 158 off 73, with 13 sixes, no less! Of all the T20 hundreds ever scored, this might well be the most significant, as it heralded the start of a new competition as well as the beginning of a new era. Chasing a gigantic total of 223, RCB fell apart for a mere 82, with Ajit Agarkar grabbing three wickets for KKR.