Top 3 iconic matches in the IPL between KKR and PBKS

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match number 53 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday, May 8.

Kolkata and Punjab are placed towards the bottom half of the points table owing to their inconsistent campaign. While PBKS are seventh with 10 points from as many games, KKR are a spot below them with eight points.

Looking at the recent form of the two teams, Punjab have won two and lost three of their last five matches. In their previous game, they failed to defend a 200-plus score as Mumbai Indians (MI) registered a thumping six-wicket win.

Kolkata have also won two and lost three of their last five games. In their last match, they registered a brilliant come-from-behind five-run win over SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).

In the head-to-head battle between KKR and PBKS, Kolkata have a significant 20-11 lead over Punjab. However, when the two teams met in the first half of the league stage, PBKS registered a seven-run win via the D/L method in Mohali.

As the two sides clash again on Monday, we look back at three of their iconic tussles in the IPL.

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#3 IPL 2020 - Kolkata won by two runs

Dinesh Karthik in KKR colors. Pic: BCCI

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Punjab Kings by two runs in match number 24 of the IPL 2020 edition at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Batting first, KKR put up 164/6 on the board as opener Shubman Gill scored a well-compiled 57 off 47 balls, while keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik clobbered 58 off only 29 balls.

In reply, Punjab seemed to be in cruise control mode as openers KL Rahul (74 off 58) and Mayank Agarwal (56 off 39) added 115 in 14.2 overs. KKR, however, hit back as Prasidh Krishna dismissed Agarwal and Simran Singh (4), while Sunil Narine cleaned up Nicholas Pooran (16).

The massive turning point in the game came when Krishna bowled Rahul on the last ball of the penultimate over. Punjab needed 14 off the last over bowled by Narine, but despite Glenn Maxwell’s presence, they couldn’t get over the line.

Mandeep Singh (0) top-edged a slog sweep, while Maxwell slammed the last ball for four, but PBKS shockingly went down by two runs.

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#2 IPL 2012 - Punjab won by two runs

Mandeep Singh batting for Punjab. (Pic: BCCI)

Punjab got the better of Kolkata by two runs in a close encounter of the 2012 edition at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In a low-scoring game, Punjab were held to 134/9 after being sent into bat by KKR.

Sunil Narine was brilliant with the ball, registering figures of 5/19, while Rajat Bhatia claimed 2/14. For Punjab, Mandeep Singh top-scored with 38 and David Hussey contributed 32.

Kolkata, however, stumbled in the chase and were in all sorts of trouble at 88/6 in the 15th over. Debabrata Das (35* off 23) and Ryan ten Doeschate (11 off 14), however, added 40 for the seventh wicket to lift KKR.

Kolkata needed nine off the last over bowled by Harmeet Singh. Doeschate was bowled off the third delivery. Das and Rajat Bhatia only managed four runs off the last three deliveries as Punjab sneaked home.

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#1 IPL 2015 - Kolkata won by one wicket

Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Russell. (Pic: iplt20.com)

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Punjab Kings by one wicket in match number 44 of IPL 2015 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Batting first, Punjab put up 183/5 on the board as Glenn Maxwell top-scored with 43 off 22, while David Miller hammered an unbeaten 27 off 11.

KKR got off to a poor start in the chase and were four down for 83 by the 11th over. Andre Russell single-handedly kept his team in the chase with a terrific knock. The aggressive batter slammed 51 off only 21 balls, clubbing five fours and four sixes.

Russell’s brilliant knock ended when he was caught behind off Axar Patel in the 17th over. The equation came down to eight runs off the last over with three wickets in hand.

Brad Hogg (5) was run-out off the second delivery, but Piyush Chawla hammered the next ball from Anureet Singh for a six over deep midwicket to tie the scores.

There was more drama as Chawla (18) was caught down leg side. Umesh Yadav and Narine, however, scampered a leg bye off the penultimate delivery to lift Kolkata to a famous win.