Top 5 spells by a KKR bowler in IPL playoffs ft. Umesh Yadav

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2024 on Tuesday, May 21, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

KKR recorded their best-ever finish in the league stage, finishing fitst, with 10 wins in 14 matches, also recording the highest NRR in IPL history. Powered by Sunil Narine and Phil Salt's explosive opening partnership and well backed up by their versatile bowling lineup, KKR's eighth stint in the IPL playoffs seems destined to go the distance.

The two-time champions have played in quite a few memorable playoff matches in the past, putting in some brilliant performances with both the bat and the ball. On that note, let's look at the top five spells by a KKR bowler in IPL playoffs.

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#5 Jacques Kallis - 2/18 in 4 overs vs MI - IPL 2011

South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis was one of KKR's driving forces in the initial years of the IPL, and he played a major part in them winning their two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.

However, he also fought valiantly in KKR's first playoff appearance in the IPL when they finished fourth on the points table in IPL 2011. Taking on the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator, KKR were rattled early as they batted first, with Munaf Patel accounting for the key wickets of Kallis and Yusuf Pathan.

While they managed to get to 147/7 courtesy of a fighting 49-ball 70 from Ryan ten Doeschate, KKR needed something special to keep themselves in the game, and Kallis provided that.

After the MI openers Aiden Blizzard and Sachin Tendulkar appeared to have run away with the match, his tight bowling accounted for the wickets of Sachin and Ambati Rayudu. While he finished with excellent figures of 2/18 in four overs, MI managed to get across the line with four balls to spare, handing KKR a defeat in their first playoff appearance.

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#4 Piyush Chawla - 2/24 in 4 overs vs RR - IPL 2018

The Kolkata Knight Riders finished third in the group stage of IPL 2018, setting up an Eliminator clash with the Rajasthan Royals. Batting first, an Andre Russell special and a half-century from skipper Dinesh Karthik powered them to a par total of 169/7 on a tricky Eden Gardens surface.

In reply, the RR openers Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Tripathi started well, cruising to 47/0 in five overs when DK turned to one of the IPL's most experienced and reliable bowlers, Piyush Chawla to bowl his second over in the powerplay. The leg-spinner delivered, picking up the wicket of the dangerous Rahul Tripathi to turn the momentum KKR's way.

RR captain Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson rebuilt the innings post Tripathi's dismissal. When Rahane fell in the 15th over, RR needed around 60 runs in six overs, and the game was hanging in the balance when Chawla struck once again.

This time, he removed the dangerous Sanju Samson right after he scored his half-century, cleverly mixing up his lengths and having him hole out to long-on. On what was a rare off-day for Sunil Narine, Kuldeep bowled an economical spell, but it was Chawla's 2/26 that made more of a difference as they restricted RR to win by 25 runs.

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#3 Nathan Coulter-Nile - 3/20 in 4 overs vs SRH - IPL 2017

KKR have had the wood over SRH in the IPL, and the Eliminator in IPL 2017 was one such instance. After putting SRH into bat, KKR struck early, with Umesh Yadav nipping out Shikhar Dhawan. However, SRH's star overseas batters David Warner and Kane Williamson put on a fifty partnership, and that's when Gautam Gambhir turned to the partnership-breaker Nathan Coulter-Nile (NCN).

Usually deadly at the death, NCN had to do a similar job in the middle overs, and he did so brilliantly by pressuring Kane Williamson to go for an uncharacteristic release shot and breaking the partnership. That wicket opened the floodgates for SRH as they lost two quick wickets after that.

Vijay Shankar and Naman Ojha steadied the ship for the Orange Army, and with two overs remaining, they set up a good platform to go big at the death. Unfortunately for them, NCN still had one over left. The Australian seamer used the surface brilliantly, bowling the ball short and into the surface, first dismissing Vijay Shankar before taking a stunning return catch to send Chris Jordan back for a golden duck.

SRH could score only 128/7 in 20 overs, and after rain intervened, the match was reduced to six overs, and KKR chased down the target of 48 with ease as Coulter-Nile deservedly won the POTM award.

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#2 Sunil Narine - 4/21 in 4 overs, vs RCB - IPL 2021

AB de Villers gets bowled off Sunil Narine's bowling. (Image Courtesy: iplt20.com)

KKR made one of the most remarkable second-half comebacks in IPL history to qualify for the IPL 2021 playoffs, but they had to overcome a consistent and successful RCB side in the Eliminator.

RCB chose to bat first in Sharjah and Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli got them off to a good start, scoring 53/1 in six overs. KKR captain Eoin Morgan held back his strike bowler till the 10th over, and Narine immediately struck; his carrom ball proving too good for a scratchy KS Bharat.

ABD walked in next, however, joining Virat Kohli in the middle, and an RCB counter-attack was imminent. However, Narine had other ideas. He first deceived Virat Kohli in the air with a well-flighted off-spinner that beat his slog sweep and knocked him over. In his third over, he struck again, picking up the huge wicket of AB de Villiers as his flicker breached Mr. 360's defenses and silenced the RCB fans.

Narine wasn't done yet, and despite Shubman Gill dropping a simple catch in his 4th over, he accounted for Glenn Maxwell soon after, with the turn and slow wicket too much to handle for The Big Show as Narine finished with stellar figures of 4/21.

However, the slow Sharjah wicket enabled RCB to fight back and they did so pretty well, with KKR struggling to reach their target of 140. KKR then promoted Sunil Narine to No.6, and he took full toll of Dan Christian's harmless medium-pace deliveries, hitting three sixes to take the game out of RCB's reach, scoring a 15-ball 26 with the bat.

He was, without doubt, awarded the POTM award.

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#1 Umesh Yadav - 3/13 in 4 overs, vs KXIP, IPL 2014

The Punjab Kings (then KXIP) may not be the most successful team, but under captain George Bailey in IPL 2014, they were one of the most fearsome teams in IPL history, and that's what makes KKR's triumph all the more special that season.

Having finished 2nd on the points table, they took on the Kings in Qualifier 1, and after being put into bat, they managed to post only 163/8 in their 20 overs. Against a deadly KXIP batting lineup, KKR needed something special to help them defend the total, and Umesh Yadav rose to the occasion.

He made the new ball talk, sending the dangerous Virender Sehwag back to the pavilion with the first ball of his spell. He bowled his 2nd over after the powerplay right after Glenn Maxwell walked out to the middle. Bowling to him was no easy task in IPL 2014, but Umesh ensured that there would be no heroics from him that day, with his nip-backer trapping Maxwell plumb in front.

KXIP's innings completely unraveled post that, and with 30 needed off the last over, Umesh struck in the very first ball to dismiss George Bailey, eventually finishing the match with figures of 3/13 in his four overs after dismissing the opposition's three most destructive batters.