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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will meet Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match number 56 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, May 11. Both teams find themselves in a similar situation. Kolkata have won five out of their 11 matches and so have Rajasthan.
The two sides have, however, experienced contrasting fortunes over the last couple of weeks. After four successive losses, KKR have resurrected their IPL 2023 campaign, winning three of their last four matches. In their last game, they beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by five wickets.
As for RR, they have only one win in their last six matches. In their previous clash, they went down to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by four wickets.
In the head-to-head battle between the two teams, Kolkata have a slender 14-12 lead over Rajasthan.
Interestingly, a few players who will be representing their respective franchises on Thursday have been part of the opposite camp in the past. We look at three such cricketers.
#1 Tim Southee
Seasoned New Zealand pacer Tim Southee, who is currently with KKR, has represented multiple franchises in the IPL over the years. He has been part of Chennai Super Kings (2011), Mumbai Indians (2016-2017), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (2018-2019).
Southee’s stint with Rajasthan Royals lasted from 2014 to 2015. The right-arm pacer had a forgettable edition in 2014, going wicketless in three matches. He, however, had a decent economy rate of 7.60.
The Kiwi bowler did better in the IPL 2015 season, picking up six wickets in seven matches at an average of 41.16 and an economy rate of 8.82.
The 34-year-old joined KKR in the 2021 season and has since been with the franchise. He has an impressive record while playing for Kolkata. In 14 matches, he has picked up 19 wickets at an average of 23.63 and an economy rate of 8.47.
#2 Jason Holder
Former West Indies captain Jason Holder was purchased by Rajasthan Royals for ₹5.75 crore at the IPL mini-auction held for the 2023 season. Like Southee, Holder too has represented multiple franchises in the Indian T20 league over the years.
He was part of CSK in 2013, turned out for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014, and again from 2020 to 2021. Last season, he was picked by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), one of the two franchises that made their IPL debut in 2022. However, he was, somewhat surprisingly, released ahead of the ongoing season.
Holder also represented Kolkata Knight Riders during the 2016 edition. The all-rounder did not have a memorable season. The right-arm medium pacer played four matches in which he claimed two wickets at an average of 51.50 and an economy rate of 7.92. He didn’t have much to do with the bat as well, scoring 22 runs in 19 balls.
Speaking of his performance for RR in the ongoing season, it has been quite disappointing. He has only four wickets in eight games at an average of 71 and an economy rate of 9.96.
In the game against Mumbai Indians, he was clobbered for three consecutive sixes by Tim David in the last over. As for his batting, he has hardly got a chance to display his skills.
#3 Sanju Samson
This will be a bit of a surprise for fans. Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson was also part of Kolkata Knight Riders once. Of course, it is difficult to remember this fact because Samson never got a chance to play a game for the Kolkata-based franchise.
The keeper-batter was signed by KKR ahead of the IPL 2012 season. In fact, he had been a part of the franchise’s development plans for more than three years. However, Kolkata did not continue to back the talented cricketer after the 2012 edition. He was signed by RR in the 2013 season and the rest, as they say, is history.
Barring two seasons, 2016 and 2017, when he represented Delhi, Samson has played for RR in every other IPL edition that he has been part of. The 28-year-old even holds the record for having scored the most number of runs for Rajasthan Royals - 3349 runs in 127 matches at an average of 30.17 and a strike rate of 138.61.
