The Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2024 is coming back, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fans are hoping their team wins the trophy after 10 years. KKR has won two trophies before and is the second most successful team in the league.
KKR won in 2012 and 2014 because their batting and bowling worked well together. Gautam Gambhir, who used to play for KKR and is now their mentor, knows that disciplined batting is crucial to winning. He used to be an aggressive opener and led the team.
In the next season, Gambhir wants the current KKR captain, Shreyas Iyer, to lead with his batting and inspire others to do their best. When we talk about KKR’s batting, it’s important to remember their five best performances.
Here are KKR’s top five batting performances ever:
5. Venkatesh Iyer’s 104 off 51 against Mumbai Indians in 2023
Venkatesh Iyer scored 104 runs for KKR against Mumbai Indians in 2023. He was the second player from KKR to do so in IPL. He played really well at the Wankhede Stadium. Venkatesh batted at number three and played confidently against MI’s bowlers.
Because of his great performance, KKR scored 185 runs in 20 overs. But even though Venkatesh played so well, KKR lost the match to MI by five wickets. Still, people noticed Venkatesh’s amazing play, and he got the Player of the Match award.
4. Andre Russell’s unbeaten 48 off 13 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2019
In 2019, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, KKR played against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Andre Russell, a veteran player from the West Indies, did something amazing with his bat. He helped Kolkata win by five wickets.
Kolkata had to chase a very big score of 206 runs. By the 17th over, they were in a tough spot with only five wickets left and a score of 153 runs. Then, with 53 runs needed from 18 balls, Russell started hitting the ball really well. He scored 48 runs in just 13 balls by hitting eight boundaries (seven sixes and one four). He helped his team win with five balls to spare. Russell was named the Player of the Match for his incredible performance.
3. Pat Cummin’s unbeaten 56 off 15 against Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2022
Pat Cummins, a famous Australian cricket player, is usually known for his great bowling skills. But sometimes he also does well in batting for his national team. In 2022, he became famous for his excellent batting performance for KKR against MI at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium.
KKR had to score 162 runs to win. When they had scored 101 runs with five players out in 13.1 overs, Cummins came to bat at number seven. He played really well against Tymal Mills, Jasprit Bumrah, and Daniel Sams. In Sams’ over, Cummins scored 35 runs and helped his team win the game easily.
Because of KKR’s impressive win by five wickets, Cummins was chosen as the Player of the Match for his great performance in both batting (he scored 56 runs in just 15 balls) and bowling (he took 2 wickets for 49 runs in four overs). He made his fifty runs in just 14 balls, which tied the record for the fastest fifty in the IPL with KL Rahul, who did it in 2018 against Delhi Capitals. However, in 2023, Yashasvi Jaiswal of Rajasthan Royals broke both their records by scoring a fifty in just 13 balls against KKR at Eden Gardens.
2. Yusuf Pathan’s 72 off 22 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2014
Yusuf Pathan was really good at hitting the ball hard in cricket matches where they wear white clothes. He played for KKR from 2011 to 2017 and won a lot of games for them. But in 2014, he did something amazing.
At Eden Gardens, his team needed to score 161 runs in just over 15 overs to get into the playoffs. Yusuf played incredibly well under pressure. He hit the ball really hard and quickly reached 50 runs in just 15 balls.
Even after reaching 50 runs, Yusuf didn’t stop. He kept hitting the ball hard. He got out after scoring 72 runs off just 22 balls. But because of his amazing performance, Kolkata reached the target in just over 14 overs and got into the playoffs easily.
1. Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten 158 off 73 against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2008
In 2008, Brendon McCullum, a former New Zealand cricket captain, played an amazing game in the first match of the IPL tournament. He scored 158 runs without getting out, hitting the ball 73 times against RCB at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. He faced the good bowlers confidently and gave his team, KKR, a great start.
After this brilliant start, McCullum got even better and scored 100 runs in just 53 deliveries. He didn’t get out and went back to the team’s resting area. Because of his fantastic performance, KKR scored a total of 222 runs, which RCB couldn’t match.
Feeling very sure of themselves after McCullum’s century, KKR’s bowlers easily got RCB out for only 82 runs. McCullum was chosen as the Player of the Match for his outstanding contribution in leading Kolkata to a massive 140-run victory, the largest win (by runs) for the team, which has won the IPL twice.
READ MORE: Top 5 best bowling performances for SRH
