The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are on the road again, this time to take on their bogey team in the IPL, the five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI). No team has beaten KKR more often in the competition than MI, and with KKR coming off a narrow defeat against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday, this becomes a vital match for the Knights to regain some momentum. Well-rested MI enter the fixture having secured a regulation two points against the Delhi Capitals (DC) in their last outing.
The two franchises have met 31 times before, with KKR winning just nine times in comparison with MI’s 22 victories. This includes a four-year phase between May 2015 and April 2019 when MI won eight out of eight games against the Knights. Rohit Sharma comfortably leads the batting charts in this fixture, with a whopping 904 runs to his name. Next best is Suryakumar Yadav (who has represented both franchises) with 494, ahead of Gautam Gambhir’s tally of 349. As for the bowlers, Sunil Narine, inevitably, has the most wickets with 23, ahead of Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga, both of whom have 20 each.
Before KKR and MI renew their rivalry in 2023, My Kolkata would like to refresh your memories by revisiting three key moments from KKR-MI encounters over the years.
Pat Cummins goes berserk
Pat Cummins played a blinder when the two teams faced off in Pune in 2022 TT archives
For the first time in IPL history, KKR did the double over MI last year. The first of those two wins came in Pune, where MI took to the crease to post a total of 161. Suryakumar Yadav made an industrious half century, while Pat Cummins picked up two wickets, in spite of going at more than 12 runs per over. More than midway through the chase, KKR were struggling for momentum when Cummins joined Venkatesh Iyer in the middle. What followed was the most explosive batting effort of Cummins’s career, as the Aussie whipped the MI bowling to every corner of the ground, finishing with 56 not out off just 15 balls as well as a five-wicket win for KKR with four overs left to play.
A clinical team effort from KKR outclasses MI
Rohit’s magnificent 98 could not stave off an MI defeat at Eden in 2015 TT archives
Back in April 2015, then defending champions KKR kick-started a new season of the IPL by hosting MI at the Eden Gardens. Batting first, MI and their skipper Rohit Sharma set the stage alight, with Rohit remaining unbeaten on a sparkling 98. Even though the home team lost Robin Uthappa early on in their reply, three solid knocks by Gautam Gambhir, Manish Pandey and SKY (then at KKR) allowed the Knights to breeze to an easy win on the opening night. The omens, however, could not have been more wrong, as it was MI who would go on to become champions that season at… Eden.
MI in cruise control thanks to a Tendulkar masterclass
Sachin Tendulkar’s brilliance gave MI a convincing win against KKR in Mumbai in 2010 TT archives
All the way back to March 2010 for this one, when MI hosted KKR at the Wankhede Stadium and saw Chris Gayle and Sourav Ganguly open the batting for the visitors. Gayle was on song on the night, stroking his way to a dazzling 75, even as KKR huffed and puffed their way to 155. Chasing a modest total, Shikhar Dhawan and Saurabh Tiwary played important cameos, but it was MI icon Sachin Tendulkar who controlled the chase. His 71 not out off 48 balls meant KKR never got a sniff, as the Master Blaster manipulated the field in his inimitable way to guide his team to victory.