KKR’s record in IPL playoffs: How many games have they won?

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

KKR finished first in the points table after winning nine games and having 20 points to their name in 14 matches. Meanwhile, SRH won eight out of 14 games and finished second with 17 points.

After losing the 2021 final game to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), this would be the first time the two-time champions will compete in a playoff match. Since the start of the IPL, KKR have played 13 matches in the playoffs, having won eight and lost on five occasions.

As Kolkata get ready to face Hyderabad in an important encounter, in this article, we will look at the playoff games in which the Knight Riders came out on top over the years.

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Qualifier 1 2012: KKR vs DC (KKR won by 18 runs)

Kolkata faced Delhi in the first qualifier match of 2012. Batting first, KKR scored 162 runs, thanks to a quick-fiery innings from Yusuf Pathan (40* off 21 balls). In response, no other Delhi batter except Mahela Jayawardene (40) was able to score runs as they fell short by 18 runs. Meanwhile, for Kolkata, Sunil Narine and Jacques Kallis took two wickets each.

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Final 2012: KKR vs CSK (KKR won by 5 wickets)

Suresh Raina was in some form on the night of the IPL 2012 final. The Indian batter scored 73 off 38 balls, as CSK put up a total of 190 runs.

CSK were looking to win their third title in a row, but Manvinder Bisla (89) had some other plans; he, along with Jacques Kallis (69), stitched together a 136-run partnership to keep KKR in the game. In the end, Manoj Tiwary hit two boundaries to win for KKR with two balls remaining.

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Qualifier 1 2014: KKR vs PBKS (KKR won by 28 runs)

KKR batters had a tough time when they faced the Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2013. Thanks to a decent innings from Robin Uthappa (42), KKR put up a fighting total of 163 runs.

In the second innings, Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel made life tough for the Punjab Kings, as no batter was able to convert their start into a big innings, resulting in their loss by 28 runs.

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Final 2014: KKR vs PBKS (KKR won by 3 wickets)

Wriddhiman Saha (115*) and Manan Vohra (67) put up a great show as Punjab scored 199 runs in the 2014 IPL final. In response, KKR lost their key batter, Robin Uthappa, cheaply.

Then came Manish Pandey, who fought brilliantly and missed a well-deserved century. He scored 94 off 50 balls to keep KKR in the hunt. The Knight Riders needed five off the last over, and Piyush Chawla was up to the task as he helped KKR lift their second IPL title.

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Eliminator 2017: KKR vs SRH (KKR won by 7 wickets)

Nathan Coulter-Nile led the way for KKR with three wickets, as SRH only made 128 runs in the IPL 2017 eliminator. However, in the second innings, KKR got a target of 48 runs in six overs after rain played its part. Gautam Gambhir (32* off 19 balls) played sensibly, leading his team to an easy win.

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Eliminator 2018: KKR vs RR (KKR won by 25 runs)

Batting first, KKR lost some early wickets, but Dinesh Karthik (52) and Andre Russell (49*) helped the Knight Riders put up a score of 169 runs. Rajasthan were 109/1 after 14 overs but lost their way as the KKR bowlers bowled tight lines. RR batters found it hard to score boundaries as they fell short by 25 runs.

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Eliminator 2021: KKR vs RCB (KKR won by 4 wickets)

Sunil Narine was in some form as he took four wickets against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the eliminator game of the IPL 2021, helping KKR restrict them to 138. RCB fought hard, but some decent contributions from Shubman Gill (29) and Venkatesh Iyer (26) made it easy for KKR, as they won by four wickets with two balls remaining.

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Qualifier 2: KKR vs DC (KKR won by 3 wickets)

KKR bowlers were on fire in Qualifier 2, as they restricted the Delhi Capitals (DC) lineup to only 135 runs. Shubman Gill (46) and Ventakesh Iyer (55) were brilliant for KKR. However, they lost their way mid-way through their innings as they went from 123/1 to 130/7, but Rahul Tripathi kept his calm and won it for KKR.

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Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking to reach their fourth IPL final when they face SunRiders Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2024.