A Gaylestorm, Taylor whirlwind and Kohli’s genius
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders have shared a memorable past ever since the IPL kicked off in grand fashion in 2008. After all, who could forget the unprecedented glitz and glamour of the opening night of the IPL, which was also lit up by the on-field action between these two teams? Over the years, RCB and KKR have played out numerous unforgettable games. Here are our top 3 picks -
RCB vs KKR, May 12 2009
It looked like all was lost. RCB were tottering at 74/3 after 11 overs, chasing a mammoth 174 to win. With 100 runs needed in 9 overs, Ross Taylor took over. He carted the KKR bowling all around the park, laced with his trademark sixers over mid-wicket. The heroics endeared Ross Taylor to the RCB fanbase and since then Taylor’s name has been etched permanently in RCB history. RCB won the game with 4 balls to spare. The victory provided the impetus to a stuttering campaign as RCB went on to reach the finals in the 2009 edition in South Africa.
RCB vs KKR, April 22 2011
Chris Gayle announced himself to the RCB fanbase with a century on his debut
Prior to the visit to Kolkata, RCB had managed only one win from the opening five games in IPL 2011. The batting had struggled, and the key fast bowler in Dirk Nannes had returned home injured. Serendipitously, RCB picked Chris Gayle as the replacement who was overlooked by every team in the auction. Batting first, KKR put up a formidable 171 on the board. Given the form, RCB were expected to struggle to put up a reasonable fight.
However, a jet-lagged Chris Gayle announced himself against his former employers. A century on his RCB debut, off 55 balls, meant Gayle had established himself as a fan favorite in his very first game. The Gayle storm had hit the iconic Eden Gardens and left everything destroyed in its wake.
RCB vs KKR, April 19 2019
Captain Kohli was struggling. He had labored to a half-century off 40 balls, as the team in itself trotted across to only 70 runs in the first ten overs. What followed in the second half of the innings was absolute carnage. First, it was Moeen Ali, whose whirlwind knock of 66 off 34 balls provided momentum to an innings which was trudging along aimlessly. But it was captain Kohli’s century, half of which’s runs came in just 17 balls which broke KKR’s spirits. RCB had scored 143 in the back 10 of the innings and had gone from what looked like a below-par performance, to a match-winning score of 213. Despite a scare late in the KKR innings by Andre Russell, RCB managed to pull off a 10 run win.
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