Down memory lane: KKR vs RR

Rajasthan and Kolkata have always been the chalk and the cheese of the IPL. The former are known for going under the radar, unearthing young talent and creeping up to glory. The latter are perpetually in the limelight, blessed with a sprinkling of superstars (not just on the field, of course) and never do anything quietly. Naturally, when the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) meet in the IPL, the clash of opposites makes for one of the most intriguing contests in the competition.

It took KKR three chances to get their first victory over RR in the IPL, all the way back in 2009. But the all-time IPL stats are in favour of KKR with 13 wins out of 25, including three in the last four. KKR also went unbeaten against RR for four straight games between April 2018 and April 2019.

Current Knight Ajinkya Rahane has scored more runs for RR against his present team than anybody else

BCCI

The individual batting charts have current KKR opener Ajinkya Rahane at the top, although all his 338 runs in the fixture have come during his stint with RR. In second place is Shane Watson with 304 runs, while the batting podium is completed by someone who, like Rahane, made the switch from RR to KKR — hitting-machine Yusuf Pathan, who has 292 runs to his name. Shivam Mavi is the somewhat surprise leader of the bowling records, with 11 wickets to his name, followed closely by KKR’s spin twins, Sunil Narine and Shakib Al Hasan, who have 10 scalps each.

Before the two franchises take the field on Monday, My Kolkata refreshes your memories by revisiting three key moments from the KKR-RR encounters over the years.

Cummins and Morgan on a roll as KKR make light work of RR

Pat Cummins took four wickets to wreck the RR top order when the two teams met in Dubai in 2020

TT archives

When the two teams met in November 2020 in Dubai, a closely fought game was expected. Instead, KKR ran away with the match even before RR could settle in. Batting first, the Knights put on an imposing 191, thanks largely to a smash-and-grab knock by skipper Eoin Morgan at the death. In reply, RR were rattled by the pace and precision of Pat Cummins, who got rid of RR’s top three, with the clattering of Steve Smith’s stumps being the most impressive of the lot. Cummins finished with figures of four for 34, while Mavi and Varun Chakravarthy pocketed two wickets each to script a comfortable win by 60 runs for KKR.

KKR direct one-way traffic at the Eden

Jacques Kallis played a steady hand to help KKR over the line against RR in 2013

TT archives

The 2013 season was not particularly memorable for KKR, but the then reigning champions managed to put in a comprehensive showing against RR when the visitors arrived at the Eden Gardens. A halfhearted batting performance from RR yielded only 132 runs, with Shane Watson and Sanju Samson holding fort for a while before eventually succumbing to Sunil Narine and Rajat Bhatia, respectively. Out to chase down a modest target, KKR were characteristically cautious at the start, with none of their top three batters going at a strike rate of more than 120. Then, Yusuf Pathan came to the crease. The former RR all-rounder took matters into his own hands, smashing 49 off 35 and ensuring that both sides headed in for an early post-match shower. Pathan’s firepower meant that KKR won the game by eight wickets with 16 balls remaining.

More Pathan power, this time for RR

Yusuf Pathan stole the show in the IPL’s inaugural super over in 2009

TT archives

The face-off between KKR and RR at Cape Town in April 2009 made history as the first-ever occasion in the IPL when a super over was played to split the two teams after 40 overs of cricket had failed to do the same. RR compiled 150 runs on the board in the first innings, with Yusuf Pathan — then wearing the blue and gold — notching up 42 runs in no time. KKR got off to a reasonable start, thanks to some fine strokemaking by Chris Gayle, but lost their way in the middle, until Sourav Ganguly, batting at number five (this was the year when John Buchanan tried all his coaching experiments on KKR and Ganguly), steadied the ship with a brisk 46. However, Ganguly’s big hits were too few too late and KKR could only tie the match, paving the way for the first IPL super over. In the tiebreaker, it was KKR who batted first, scoring a healthy 15 in one over, with three fours from Gayle being the highlights. In response, Pathan was pitted against KKR’s mystery man, Ajantha Mendis. In four balls, Pathan made mincemeat of all mystery, smacking Mendis for two sixes, a four and a double to seal a sensational win for RR.