BENGALURU: Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore have played some of the most memorable matches in IPL history. For instance, Brendon McCullum’s 158 in the opening night or those special Chris Gayle magic. Here is a look at some of those special matches.
IPL 2008
In the first-ever IPL game, Kolkata’s McCullum came up with one of the most special innings in IPL history. He scored a 73-ball 158, which included 10 fours and 13 sixes at a strike rate of 216. It was, in fact, this innings, which introduced IPL to the world. And Kolkata bowlers did not disappoint in the second innings. Barring Praveen Kumar, none of the Bangalore batsmen crossed the double-digit mark. They were dismissed for 82 runs with Ajit Agarkar scalping three wickets.
IPL 2011
The second innings of the contest in Kolkata was all about Chris Gayle, who hit his maiden IPL ton. What made it special was that the left-hander achieved the feat while chasing 172, which could have been tricky. He might have started patiently, (8 from 8 balls), but when he decided to shift gears, the opener did so in style. 80 percent of his runs (10x4, 7x6) were in boundaries, reflecting the kind of dominating form the batsman was at the middle.
IPL 2015
At one point, one did not know if a game would even be available due to rain. But, the umpires decided that a 10-over contest was possible after the rains stopped and it proved to be a thriller. After Kolkata managed 111 from 10 overs, Mandeep Singh emerged as an unlikely hero. He walked onto bat when his team had to score 60 from last five. The right-hander was at his best in the final over. They needed 11 in five, a couple and two sixes steered Bangalore to victory with two balls to spare.
IPL 2017
It was one of those contests, which Bangalore would never like to recall, but Kolkata would love to do the opposite. Chasing 132 runs to win, Bangalore, which comprised a batting line- up of Gayle, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli, were all out for a shocking 49 runs. None of the batsmen managed a score in double digits. Though Nathan Coulter-Nile walked away with the man of the match with three wickets, Chris Woakes and Colin de Grandhomme also took three wickets each. These pacers ensured it was a proper thrashing as Kolkata won by 82 runs.
IPL 2019 (in Bengaluru)
Andre Russell was at his astonishingly best in 2019, and no target was unachievable when the all-rounder was at the batting crease. Chasing 206 to win, Kolkata needed 66 from 24 balls when Russell walked into bat, and he made a mockery of the bowling attack, especially Tim Southee’s 19th over. They needed 30 from 12 balls, and they managed 29 in six balls, with Russell hitting four sixes and one four. They won the match with five balls to spare.
IPL 2019 (in Kolkata)
One has rarely seen Kohli struggle at the batting crease. But it was just that kind of a day, where things were not going well for the skipper, who was failing to time the ball. Despite that struggle, he completed his 50 in around 40 balls, but things changed after that. He began to middle the ball with perfection and completed his next fifty off 17 balls, helping his team score 213/4. Despite a stunning half-century from Nitish Rana and Russell, Kolkata fell short by 10 runs.