5 best bowling performances by a KKR player vs RCB ahead of IPL 2025 opener ft. Sunil Narine

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 opener will see defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lock horns with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens on Saturday, March 22. It will be a high-voltage contest, with both sides boasting some world-class players who can single-handedly turn the game on its head.

It was a dream run for KKR in IPL 2024, finishing atop the points table after the group stage. They beat the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets in a one-sided final to win their third IPL trophy. The Knight Riders will hope they begin where they left off last season, with senior batter Ajinkya Rahane at the helm this year.

RCB, on the other hand, defeated the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a must-win game to qualify for the playoffs in 2024. However, they lost to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator to crash out of the tournament.

With a well-balanced side this year, the Royal Challengers will be desperate to end their trophy drought under the young and energetic leadership of Rajat Patidar.

Meanwhile, KKR and RCB have produced some thrilling encounters in the past. Kolkata bowlers have recorded some scintillating bowling spells against the Royal Challengers. On that note, we look at the five best bowling performances by a KKR bowler against RCB.

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5 best bowling performances by a KKR player vs RCB ahead of IPL 2025 opener

#1 Varun Chakravarthy - 4/15 - 2023

The mystery KKR spinner has been one of Kolkata's leading bowlers in recent years. He produced a spell for the ages against Bengaluru in IPL 2023 at Eden Gardens.

Defending 204 runs, Chakravarthy ran down the Royal Challengers batting with figures of 4/15 in 3.4 overs. He dismissed dangerous-looking Faf du Plessis inside the powerplay before dismissing Glenn Maxwell and Harshal Patel. Chakravarthy returned to get the better of Akash Deep to bowl out Bengaluru for 123 runs, with Kolkata winning the match by 81 runs.

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#2 Lakshmipathy Balaji - 4/18 - 2012

It dates back to when the Kolkata Knight Riders won their maiden IPL trophy in 2012. They set the tone for the tournament with comprehensive victories early in the competition, including a win over RCB at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Batting first, Kolkata posted 165/8 in their 20 overs, riding on a half-century from Gautam Gambhir. In response, KKR ran down the Bengaluru bowlers to knock them over for 123 runs.

Jacques Kallis gave the side early breakthroughs, dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara and Chris Gayle cheaply before Lakshmipathy Balaji came into the picture. The former India pacer, known for uncanny pace, ran down the RCB batting order with figures of 4/18 in four overs, including a maiden, at an economy rate of 4.50.

He dismissed Virat Kohli for his first wicket before getting the better of AB de Villiers, Mayank Agarwal, and skipper Daniel Vettori. Balaji's spell helped the Kolkata Knight Riders secure a convincing 42-run victory.

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#3 Angelo Matthews - 4/19 - 2010

The former Sri Lankan skipper made some significant performances in the IPL during his prime days. He recorded his best IPL bowling figures of 4/19 in a KKR shirt during a game against the Royal Challengers in 2010.

Coming in as a first-change bowler, Angelo Matthews picked up four key wickets to help his side bowl out Bengaluru for 135 runs. The medium pacer picked Manish Pandey for his first wicket before dismissing Virat Kohli. He also got the better of Rahul Dravid and Robin Uthappa to finish with impressive figures.

KKR chased down the target in 19.2 overs, riding on half-centuries from Brad Hodge and Manoj Tiwary.

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#4 Sunil Narine - 4/20 - 2014

The West Indian is arguably the best bowler to have ever played for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. Sunil Narine has picked up 198 wickets in 184 innings with the best figures of 5/19. He has eight four-wicket hauls and one fifer.

In the reverse fixture of IPL 2014 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata batted first and scored 195/4, thanks to an unbeaten 83 from Robin Uthappa. In reply, Narine single-handedly ran down with four wickets and helped his side register a crucial win.

Narine picked up the key wickets of Yogesh Takawale, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Yuvraj Singh to restrict RCB to 165/5, thus, winning the match by 30 runs. Narine returned with figures of 4/20 at an economy rate of five.

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#5 Sunil Narine - 4/21 - 2021

The Trinidadian starred once again with the ball against the Royal Challengers at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. It was a close contest and KKR prevailed over their opponents, thanks to a match-winning spell from Narine.

His four-wicket haul helped the Knight Riders restrict RCB to 138/7 after they elected to bat first. The mystery spinner picked up the crucial wickets of Virat Kohli, KS Bharat, Glenn Maxwell, and AB de Villiers on a turning Dubai wicket.

Narine also smashed 26 off 15 deliveries, including three sixes, to help his side chase down the target with two balls to spare. He was awarded the Player of the Match for his all-round skills.