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The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have been devoid of fond memories when it comes to matches against the Mumbai Indians (MI). While the two teams share seven IPL trophies amongst them, the rivalry between the two sides has been lopsided, to say the least.
It took KKR six attempts to record their first win over MI after the five-time IPL champions registered a double across the first two seasons in 2008 and 2009. The two-time winners then enjoyed a prolific run from 2014 to 2015 by managing to defeat MI three times in a row for the first time before repeating the feat in 2022-23 with a run that is still alive. However, KKR suffered eight consecutive defeats at the hands of MI between 2015 and 2018.
The two sides are scheduled to face each other on Sunday, April 16, at the Wankhede Stadium. Their last meeting at the iconic stadium came in May 2019.
Their overall record is heavily in favor of MI as they have bagged 22 wins compared to KKR's nine across the 31 matches they have played since 2008.
On that note, here are KKR's five biggest defeats to MI in the IPL.
#5 IPL 2020 (Match 38; Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi)
The prospect of facing the illustrious MI side in the 2019-20 timeframe was considered a suicide mission.
Rohit Sharma and Co. dominated their way to the trophy across both years and KKR were caught by their momentum and rather heavily too in the clash in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
After choosing to bat first, KKR could only muster 148 runs, courtesy of a fifty from Pat Cummins down the order. MI's spirited bowling performance was rewarded with an equally composed batting display during the run chase.
The Dinesh Karthik-led side were never in the contest and were mere bystanders as Quinton de Kock scored an unbeaten 78. MI eventually chased the target down with more than three overs to spare and eight wickets in hand.
#4 IPL 2013 (Match 53; Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai)
The 2013 campaign will be etched in memory for eternity, with it being MI's first-ever title triumph. Midway through the tournament, Mumbai showed their prowess with a dominating win over KKR at their home venue.
After deciding to bat first, Sachin Tendulkar and Dwayne Smith put up 93 runs for the opening wicket. The platform propelled MI to 170-6 after 20 overs.
Losing skipper Gautam Gambhir for a duck made matters difficult for the visitors during the run chase. At 57-3, they were arguably still in the hunt, but Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha shared five wickets between them to reduce KKR to a paltry 105, handing MI a memorable 65-run win.
Tendulkar was adjudged the Player of the Match in what ended up being his penultimate IPL game.
#3 IPL 2019 (Match 56; Wankhede Stadium)
To date, KKR have only won one match at the Wankhede Stadium, which came in their 2012 title-winning campaign. One of their most forgettable outings at the iconic stadium in Mumbai came during the 2019 edition.
The pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga, and Hardik Pandya shared seven wickets to restrict the opposition to just 133 runs. Only three batters were able to cross the double-figure mark as KKR collapsed from 72-2.
The run chase was merely a formality, with the hosts blazing away from the word go. They could take only one wicket as MI chased down the target in the 17th over, showing complete dominance across all departments.
#2 IPL 2018 (41st Match; Eden Gardens, Kolkata)
One of KKR's heaviest defeats not only against MI but also in their IPL history, came at their home venue - the Eden Gardens in IPL 2018.
After electing to bowl first, KKR had no answer to the raging MI batting unit that included a memorable outing from Ishan Kishan. The left-handed batter destroyed the bowlers with his 21-ball 61-run knock to propel MI to a mammoth score of 210 while batting first.
In reply, the hosts were never really in the run chase after losing Sunil Narine off the second delivery of the innings. The hosts just about managed to scamper through to three figures, losing the contest by a humiliating 102 runs.
#1 IPL 2008 (38th match; Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai)
While both teams proceeded to miss out on the playoffs in the inaugural season, the two sides made a lasting impression with their performances.
MI steamrolled past KKR in what was the Knight Riders' first trip to the Wankhede Stadium in the IPL.
After being put into bat first, KKR were reduced to 35-6 in no time as the MI bowlers enjoyed a field outing. Sachin Tendulkar famously claimed four catches in the innings as the Sourav Ganguly-led side were bundled out for a humiliating score of 66.
To make matters worse, MI chased the score down inside the powerplay itself - 5.3 overs to be exact. Sanath Jayasuriya scored the bulk of the target with an unbeaten 48 off 17 deliveries as the visitors were left licking their wounds from a match that lasted only a little over 20 overs.
Who will win the upcoming clash between the two sides in IPL 2023? Let us know what you think.
