Kolkata Knight Riders are one of the few teams that have won multiple championships in the Indian Premier League. Gautam Gambhir led KKR twice to the 2012 and 2012 titles. But this team has had some contrasting performances over the years. KKR has some really big names when it comes to firepower in their batting department.
But then, some batters have also toyed with the KKR bowling attack. This article is also about picking the best partnerships ever recorded against Kolkata in the IPL’s history. Notably, the highest opening stand of the IPL came against the two-time champions. So let’s check other big IPL partnerships.
Highest Partnership against Kolkata Knight Riders
| Pair | Runs | Wkt | Team | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul | 210* | 1st | LSG | DY Patil | 18 May 2022 |
| Herschelle Gibbs and Rohit Sharma | 167* | 2nd | MI | Eden Gardens | 12 May 2012 |
| David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan | 139 | 1st | SRH | Hyderabad | 30 Apr 2017 |
| Murali Vijay and Suresh Raina | 137* | 2nd | CSK | Chennai | 13 Apr 2010 |
| Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan | 132 | 1st | DC | Ahmedabad | 29 Apr 2021 |
| Rohit Sharma and Corey Anderson | 131* | 4th | MI | Eden Gardens | 8 Apr 2015 |
| David Warner and Jonny Bairstow | 131 | 2nd | SRH | Hyderabad | 21 Apr 2019 |
| David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan | 130 | 2nd | SRH | Visakhapatnam | 22 Apr 2015 |
| Manan Vohra and Wriddhiman Saha | 129 | 3rd | PBKS | Bengaluru | 1 Jun 2014 |
| David Warner and Paul Collingwood | 128 | 4th | DC | Delhi | 29 Mar 2010 |
5. Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan (132 runs) in 2021
The opposition’s openers have always enjoyed playing against KKR. The fifth-highest IPL stand came for the first wicket by DC in the 2021 season. DC won the toss and decided to bowl first. KKR had a below-par score of 154/6 in their first inning. In reply, DC openers added 132 runs for the first wicket and helped them make 156/3 in 16.3 overs to win. Prithvi Shaw made 82 off 41, with 11 fours and three sixes, while Shikhar Dhawan scored a 47-ball 46.
4. Murali Vijay and Suresh Raina (137* runs) in 2010
Murali Vijay and Suresh Raina made the second-biggest partnership against KKR in the IPL. It was the game between CSK and Kolkata in the 2010 season in Chennai. Batting first, Kolkata had some batting struggles and made only 139/8 in their 20 overs. Chasing a below-par target, CSK had an unbeaten 137-run stand for the second wicket between Murali Vijay and Suresh Raina, and they made 143/1 in 13.3 overs. Vijay made 40-ball 50 not out, while Raina scored 78 not out of 39 balls, with 11 fours and three sixes.
3. David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan (139 runs) in 2017
Another opening pair that had a good outing against KKR is David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan. SRH took on Kolkata in the 37th game of the 2017 season in Hyderabad. In the first inning, SRH got off to a brilliant start with 139 runs in 12.4 overs. Dhawan contributed 29 off 30, while Warner made an excellent century. He made 126 off 59, including 10 fours and 8 sixes. SRH posted 209/3 and restricted KRK to 161/7 to win the game by 48 runs.
2. Herschelle Gibbs and Rohit Sharma (167* runs) in 2012
The first ever 150-plus stand against KKR came in the 2012 season at Eden Gardens by KKR. After winning the toss, Mumbai Indians batted first, and Rohit Sharma and Herschelle Gibbs added an unbeaten 167 runs for the second wicket to help MI post 182/1 in 20 overs. Gibbs made 66 not out from 58 balls, and Rohit scored his career-best score. He made 109 off 60, with 12 fours and five sixes. In reply, KKR scored 155/4 and lost the game by 27 runs.
1. Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul (210* runs) in 2022
The highest opening IPL stand came between Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul in the 2022 season, when LSG met KKR at DY Patil Stadium. It was Lucknow who batted first, and both openers carried their bats through the inning. LSG made 210/0 in 20 overs. Rahul made a 51-ball 68 not out, while Rahul scored 140 not out off 70 balls, with 10 fours and 10 sixes. Chasing the target, KKR also reached pretty close and made 208/8. However, LSG won that game by just two runs.