The Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set for its 11th season and a lot has changed over the years. There’s one thing which hasn’t changed though - the rivalry between Royal Challenger Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders. This rivalry is pivotal and is still considered one of the most fierce ones among all the IPL teams. The two sides are all set to lock horns in their first match of the IPL on April 8. So let's take a look at the top five matches the two sides have played out.
Ghost of 49 at Eden Gardens
#1 - KKR won by 82 runs - Kolkata, April 23, 2017
In one of the most stunning collapse, RCB were bowled out to the lowest IPL total, 49 in front of a packed crowd at Eden Gardens. Kolkata Knight Riders too put up a modest total, as they managed just 131/10 in 19.3 overs. A strong looking batting line-up of RCB were clueless in front of KKR bowlers as they were bundled out inside 10 overs. Not a single batsman from RCB reached the double figures.
Lynnsanity - the beginning, 2014
#2 - KKR won by 2 runs - Sharjah, April 24, 2014
Fans around the world remember this match for two things - The eye-popping slide and catch by Chris Lynn and his blistering knock of 45 runs from 31 balls. Though RCB did come close during their chase of 151 but they fell short just by 2 runs in the final over all thanks to a blinder by Chris Lynn to dismiss AB de Villiers off Vinay Kumar. You just can’t get full of it, even after watching it over and over again.
‘Universal Boss’ manhandled the Knights
#3 - RCB won by 9 wickets - Kolkata, April 22, 2011
171/5 in 20 overs is considered as a safe total on any given day. But the equation to defend the total was tarnished by KKR when they met a savage Gayle-force. He single-handedly powered RCB with a quickfire 102* runs (10 fours, 7 sixes) off just 55 balls. Unfortunately, the Knights were not at their best game in the second innings and lost the match by 9 wickets.
Impressive bowling spells from Balaji (4/18) and Kallis (2/7) shattered RCB’s dream
#4 - KKR won by 42 runs - Bengaluru, April 10, 2012
A great start by Jacques Kallis (22) and Gautam Gambhir (64), followed by Manvinder Bisla (46) took KKR to 123/1 in 13 overs, but they lost the plot and could only manage 42 runs in their remaining seven overs at the cost of seven wickets. While RCB had the momentum and one would have imagined a great start to the chase of 165 runs, that didn’t happen. A brilliant display of bowling by Jacques Kallis (2/7) upfront and Lakshmipathy Balaji (4/18) in the middle overs led KKR to win the match with much ease and beat RCB by 42 runs.
Big total! But not big enough, 2015
#5 - RCB won by 7 wickets - Bengaluru, May 2, 2015
Andre Russell’s 45 runs off 17 balls boosted KKR’s first innings total and took them to a comfortable 111 runs to defend in 10 overs in a rain-curtailed 10 overs-a-side match. But the celebration was short-lived as RCB went bonkers during the chase. They found another hero in Mandeep Singh (45* off 18) who took exactly 5 overs to win the match on his own terms. RCB won the match by 7 wickets to balls left.
