The Royal Challengers Banglore and the Kolkata Knight Riders are two teams supported wholeheartedly by a passionate fanbase. The rivalry between RCB and KKR started when the IPL was inaugurated. The rivalry between the two teams is one of the most feisty and exciting encounters in the Indian Premier League.
Here are the top 10 matches that define the RCB vs KKR rivalry perfectly.
Let’s have a look.
1. RCB vs KKR, Sharjah, 2014
The first RCB vs KKR match on the list is the league stage game between the teams at Sharjah from IPL 2014. A thrilling encounter in which KKR batted first and scored 150 runs with a loss of 7 wickets. The Proteas star all-rounder, Jacques Kallis played a knock of 43 runs. It included 2 boundaries and a six.
In the middle-order, Chris Lynn scored 45 runs off 31 balls. Robin Uthappa and Suryakumar Yadav also added quick runs in the lower-middle order. Uthappa scored 22 runs off 18 balls and SKY made 24 runs off 18 balls. Varun Aaron had the best bowling figures for RCB. He took 3 wickets at an economy rate of 4.00.
Contrary to the batting performance of KKR, RCB had a decent start to their batting. The top order performed well under pressure. Yogesh Takawale was the highest run scorer for the team with his 40 runs off 28 balls. He was followed by Virat Kohli who scored 31 runs off 23 balls and Yuvraj Singh who made 32 runs.
However, Yuvraj could not force the pace towards the end of the innings and RCB fell just short of achieving the target. KKR won this memorable match by 2 runs.
2. RCB vs KKR, Kolkata, 2019
The next one on the list of top 10 RCB vs KKR matches is the league game played at Eden Gardens in 2019. RCB came to bat first and set the scoreboard on fire by making 213 runs at a loss of 4 wickets. Virat Kohli won the Player of the Match Award for his sensational T20 century. He scored a ton off 58 balls.
He was accompanied by the English all-rounder, Moeen Ali, who hit 66 runs off 28 balls. His massive innings included 6 sixes and 5 boundaries. The all-rounder Andre Russell had the best bowling figures. He took a wicket at an economy rate of 5.67.
KKR’s top order fumbled and had a poor start to their batting innings. However, the middle-order batsmen, Nitesh Rana and Andre Russel formed a solid partnership. Rana made 85 runs off 46 balls. His innings included 5 sixes and 9 boundaries.
From the other end, Andre Russell had a power show. He hit 65 runs off 25 balls with the help of 9 sixes and 2 fours. Dale Steyn was the highest wicket-taker for his 2 wickets. Navdeep Saini had the best economy rate of 7.75. The match went on till the last over and RCB won another thrilling contest by a close margin of 10 runs.
3. RCB vs KKR, Bengluru, 2008
If you have a look at the scorecard of this match, it might look like a one-sided affair. However, the true fans of IPL know how iconic this match was. Batting first, KKR built a mammoth total of 222 runs. Brendon McCullum was the Player of the Match for his outstanding innings of 158 runs off 73 balls.
McCullum’s innings was such a masterclass that the other batters did not have to do anything. Ricky Ponting was the second top scorer of the match with 20 runs. The bowlers of RCB did not have an ideal day. Sunil Joshi went wicketless but had the best economy rate of 8.66 among all the bowlers.
RCB’s batters was clueless while chasing the target and got out for just 82 runs. Except for Praveen Kumar, no batsman even reached the figure of 10. Ajit Agarkar was the highest wicket-taker for KKR, claiming 3 wickets. Ishant Sharma had the best economy rate of 2.33 in his 3 overs.
4. RCB vs KKR, Bengaluru, 2019
This match witnessed one of the greatest chases by an IPL team. Batting first, RCB made 205 runs with the loss of 3 wickets. The star duo of RCB, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, played special knocks. Kohli scored 84 runs off 49 balls and De Villiers hit 63 runs off 32 balls. The KKR side looked completely out of the game due to their poor bowling performance.
Despite decent knocks by Chris Lynn and Nitish Rana, KKR looked far behind the asking rate. KKR needed 53 runs from the last three overs when Andre Russell stepped in.
He made 23 runs in the 18th over and 29 runs in the penultimate over to succeed in chasing the target. KKR won the match by 5 wickets and 5 balls to spare. Andre Russell was awarded the Man of the Match Award. Navdeep Saini and Muhammad Siraj took 2 wickets for RCB. However, Siraj was poor with an economy rate of 15.43.
5. RCB vs KKR, Kolkata, 2008
RCB vs KKR at Eden Gardens never fails to add an exciting and thrilling factor to the games. One such game happened in the inaugural season of IPL. Batting first, KKR scored 129 runs. It was not a high-scoring game so all the batsmen of KKR barely crossed the mark of 20.
David Hussey was the top scorer for his side with his 26 runs off 12 balls. Dale Steyn took 3 wickets for RCB at an economy rate of 6.75. When RCB came to bat in the second innings, they did not have to chase a huge target.
Mark Boucher scored a fifty off 40 balls. He was accompanied by Cameron White who hit a sensational 30 off 16 balls. However, RCB fell just short as they lost the match by 5 runs. Sourav Ganguly won the Man of the Match Award for KKR for his 22 runs with the bat and took a wicket.
6. RCB vs KKR, Bengluru, 2023
It was another high-scoring game where KKR batted first and posted a target of 201. The English opener, Jason Roy, scored 56 runs off 29 balls. He hit 6 sixes and 4 boundaries. At #3, Venkatesh Iyer scored a quick 31 runs off 16 balls. Nitish Rana was another name with a brilliant batting approach. He made 48 runs off 21 balls.
In the end, David Wiese with the help of 2 sixes helped KKR cross the mark of 200 runs. RCB’s bowling performance was underwhelming. Apart from Wanindu Hasaranga, no other bowler had a good day with the ball. Hasaranga claimed 2 wickets at an economy rate of 6.00.
RCB kicked off their innings with a fifty from Virat Kohli. He scored 54 runs off 37 balls. In the middle-order, Mahipal Lomror and Dinesh Karthik accelerated the innings. Lomror added 34 runs off 18 balls. Karthik made 22 runs off 18 balls. Varun Chakaravarthy had the bowling figures.
He claimed 3 wickets at an economy rate of 6.75. RCB needed 43 runs to win from the last three overs. They did well to take the game to the end. However, they fell 21 runs short of the target.
7. RCB vs KKR, Kolkata, 2017
It was a low-scoring match with KKR getting bowled out for 131 runs. Sunil Narine, who opened the innings for KKR made 34 runs off 17 balls. His brilliant innings included six and 6 boundaries. Apart from him, no other batsman could play an impactful inning.
Yuzvendra Chahal had the best figures with the ball. He dismantled the top and middle order of KKR with his 3 wickets. His economy rate was 4.00.
RCB’s batting was a disappointment for the fans. The openers and the middle order could not do anything against KKR’s excellent bowling approach. Chris Woakes claimed 3 wickets at an economy rate of 3.00.
Colin De Grandhomme took 3 wickets at an economy rate of just 2.40. The entire team of RCB got bowled out for 49 runs. The exceptional bowling performance of KKR had turned it into a match to remember for ages.
8. RCB vs KKR, Kolkata, 2014
The next one on the list is the RCB vs KKR match from 2014. KKR posted the target of 196 runs after their twenty overs. Robin Uthappa played a memorable knock of 83 runs off 51 balls. His innings included a six and 10 fours. In the middle overs, the Bangladesh star all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan, played an impactful innings of 60 runs.
Shakib’s innings featured 3 sixes and 5 fours. Mitchell Starc had the best bowling figures for RCB. He claimed a wicket at an economy rate of 8.00.
RCB had a slow start to their batting innings. The opening batsman, Yogesh Takawale, scored 45 runs off 36 balls. Virat Kohli could not accelerate the innings either. He made 38 runs from 31 balls. Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Rana, and Mitchell Starc did well to score quick runs in the death overs.
However, no one could stay longer on the crease and RCB lost the match by a margin of 30 runs. Sunil Narine had a four-wicket haul at an economy rate of 5.00.
9. RCB vs KKR, Kolkata, 2012
You can simply not miss the match between RCB and KKR at Bengaluru from the IPL 2012 season. The match figures do not accurately portray how entertaining this match was. Although RCB lost the match by a big margin, it’s still a match to remember.
Batting first, KKR scored 165 runs off their 20 overs. Gautam Gambhir was the star of the show as he scored 64 runs off 39 balls. He was joined by Mavinder Bisla who added 46 runs to the scoreboard from 29 balls. Once again, Vinay Kumar had the best bowling figures for RCB. He took 2 wickets at an economy rate of 4.50.
RCB batsmen had an underwhelming day. No batsman could stay at the crease for longer and did not even cross the mark of 25 runs. However, it was the excellent bowling display of KKR that has made this match one to remember. Lakshmipathy Balaji had the best display of bowling as he claimed a four-wicket haul at an economy rate of 4.50. KKR won the match by 42 runs and Lakshmipathy Balaji was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
10. RCB vs KKR, Bengaluru, 2011
Another RCB vs KKR match from the Eden Gardens. It was a day and night match played in 2011 between the two teams. Batting first, KKR set up a decent target of 172 runs. Jacques Kallis made 40 runs off 42 balls. The skipper, Gautam Gambhir, played a crucial knock of 48 runs off 38.
However, the most entertaining knock was of Yusuf Pathan. He made 46 runs off 24 balls with the help of 3 sixes and 3 boundaries. RCB’s bowler, https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/sreenath-aravind-290632, was the highest wicket-taker for the side with his 2 wickets.
When RCB came to bat, many fans thought that the bowlers of KKR were good enough to defend the target. However, the masterclass of Chris Gayle unleashed on KKR as he took the game out of their hands. With the help of 7 sixes and 10 boundaries, Gayle etched his name in the history books of IPL for one of the greatest knocks ever.
His special knock has also placed the game in the top 10 matches between the two franchises. RCB won this thriller by 9 wickets and 11 balls to spare.
Conclusion
The RCB vs KKR rivalry has brewed some of the most intense and memorable cricket moments for IPL fans. There have been exciting matches between the two franchises over the years.
The top 10 matches between the Royal Challengers Banglore and the Kolkata Knight Riders include the games from the IPL seasons of 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2023.
The match between KKR and RCB at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in 2014 has been declared the best game played between the two teams.
