The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) host the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Eden Gardens on Friday, with the euphoria from Rinku Singh’s six-athon enduring in earnest. SRH themselves have found some form with a win in their last game against the Punjab Kings (PBKS), and with both teams still to find their right combination, this could be a crucial face-off in what is still early days in IPL 2023.
The two franchises have met 23 times before, with KKR leading the head-to-head with 15 wins to SRH’s eight. Former SRH skipper David Warner has the most runs to his name in this fixture with 619, ahead of Manish Pandey’s 438 and Robin Uthappa’s 426. Among the bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads the way with 22 wickets, followed by Andre Russell on 13 and Rashid Khan and Umesh Yadav, with 12 each.
Before KKR and SRH renew their rivalry in 2023, My Kolkata would like to refresh your memories by revisiting three key moments from KKR-SRH encounters over the years.
Who else but Russell yet again
Andre Russell took the SRH bowling to the cleaners in Pune in 2022
TT archivesIn their solitary contest from 2022, played in Pune, KKR batted first and were reduced to 94 for five, when something that usually happens when KKR are struggling happened. Andre Russell came up trumps, this time to hit a 28-ball 49 and steer KKR to a fighting total of 177. With Abhishek Sharma and Aiden Markram batting steadily, SRH looked in control. However, KKR fought their way back, not least due to Russell (again!), who chipped in with three pivotal wickets to seal the match and another man of the match trophy.
SRH dismantle KKR with ease
A comprehensive team performance from SRH put KKR to the sword in 2019
TT archivesLate April 2019 saw SRH play host to KKR in Hyderabad in merciless fashion, inflicting one of the most damaging defeats to the Knights in the history of their franchise. First, Khaleel Ahmed’s swing wreaked havoc among the KKR top order, as the visitors hobbled their way to 159. Then, David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, one of the competition’s most successful opening pairings, put on 131 for the first wicket to put the result beyond doubt. Bairstow remained unbeaten on 80 as SRH won by 9 wickets with five overs to spare.
Yusuf and Narine the heroes for KKR
Sunil Narine was key in KKR’s 2016 win against SRH at the Eden Gardens
TT archivesFor the last game at Eden in 2016, KKR entertained SRH, in what turned out to be a closer game than the numbers suggest. Led by a powerful 52 not out from Yusuf Pathan and a charismatic 48 from Manish Pandey, KKR posted 171 runs on the board on a wicket that was anything but a batting paradise. The demons in the pitch slowly unravelled themselves in the second innings as SRH could not string together a single meaningful partnership. Shikhar Dhawan soldiered on for 51, but KKR’s spinners ruled the night, with Sunil Narine pocketing three wickets.
