IPL 2021: KKR's top 3 bowling performances vs RCB

The IPL has given rise to a number of popular rivalries in the league. MI vs CSK, RCB vs CSK and RCB vs KKR are some of the most intense ones. These teams have big names involved and also the most passionate fanbases.

The RCB-KKR rivalry dates back to the very first game of the IPL in 2008. KKR are currently ahead 15-13 in the overall head-to-head between the two sides.

Until the last game, RCB had been dominating the rivalry in recent times, winning the last four fixtures. But KKR hit back hard, winning their latest encounter by nine wickets.

On that note, let's take a look at KKR's top three bowling performances vs RCB in IPL history.

---

#1 49 all out, Kolkata 2017

The match is fondly remembered by Kolkata Knight Riders fans. Under the astute and aggressive leadership of Gautam Gambhir, KKR managed to roll over RCB for just 49 runs in IPL 2017. Kolkata lost the toss and were put in to bat first.

After a blistering start from Sunil Narine, Kolkata collapsed from 65/1 in 5.3 overs to 93/6 in 11.5 overs. They were unable to play out the 20 overs, getting all-out for 131 in 19.3 overs. Gambhir felt "hurt" as he addressed his teammates at the break, fuming at the collapse.

"I wanted intensity from my team-mates. I wanted them to fight. I wanted them to win. I told them whoever dropped on intent should understand that this could be his last game for KKR, at least in my captaincy," Gambhir wrote in his column for Hindustan Times.

What followed was an all-time great IPL bowling performance against one of the most formidable batting units in T20 history. The overseas pace-trio of Chris Woakes, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Colin de Grandhomme picked up three wickets each. Coulter-Nile was adjudged the player of the match, as he got the big wickets of Virat Kohli & AB de Villiers upfront.

---

#2 82, Bengaluru 2008

In the very first game of the IPL, KKR put up an extremely dominant performance with both bat and ball. Put in to bat first, they scored 222/3 on the back of a belligerent 158*(73) by Brendon McCullum. None of the RCB bowlers were able to keep the scoring rate in check.

In response, RCB could never really get going. They lost early wickets of Rahul Dravid, Wasim Jaffer and Virat Kohli. Their middle order couldn't contribute a lot either. All Kolkata bowlers chipped in with wickets. Dinda was the pick of the bowlers with figures of just 2/9 in just three overs.

Bangalore had the worst possible start to the IPL one could have imagined. McCullum was adjudged the player of the match in the 1st ever IPL game.

---

#3 92 all out, Abu Dhabi 2021

After the resumption of the ongoing IPL season in UAE, the two teams met for the second time in the season. RCB were well placed with five wins in seven games. KKR, on the other hand, had just won two in their first seven.

KKR lost the toss and were put in to field first by Kohli. Prasidh Krishna started the proceedings by grabbing the big wicket of Virat Kohli, who was playing his 200th IPL game for the RCB. Ferguson then dismissed Padikkal on the last ball of the powerplay.

In the middle overs, the KKR bowlers managed to keep the scoring rate in check by picking up wickets at regular intervals. RCB collapsed from 41/1 to 66/7 in the span of about eight overs.

KKR were able to chase down the target in just 10 overs. Debutant Venkatesh Iyer and Shubman Gill went all guns blazing at the top, adding 82 runs in just 55 balls. Varun Chakravarthy was adjudged the player of the match for his exceptional spell of 3/13 in just four overs in the middle overs of the game.