The Indian Premier League (IPL) is full of rivalries and great moments for the fans, but some rivalries hold a special place for being balanced, unpredictable and dramatic. One such exciting rivalry in IPL is Rajasthan Royals (RR) vs Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). This match is not just about wins and losses but also about thrilling last overs, Super Overs, explosive batting and unexpected heroes.
On one side, Rajasthan Royals were the first IPL champion, while on the other side, KKR were a two time champion in 2012 and 2014 under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership.
However, over the years, both teams have performed well in the Rajasthan vs KKR match with many great players.
In today’s blog we will share with you Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders timeline to know the details of their IPL matches season by season.
Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders Head-to-Head Record: Overview
| Stats | Rajasthan Royals | Kolkata knight riders |
| Total Matches Played | 32 | 32 |
| Matches Won | 14 | 16 |
| Matches Lost | 16 | 14 |
| Highest Team Score | 224/8 | 223/6 |
| Lowest Team Score | 81 | 125 |
| Highest individual score | Jos Buttler – 107 | Sunil Narine – 109 |
| Best Bowling Figures | Jofra Archer – 4/18 | Sunil Narine – 4/14 |
| Super Over Wins | 2 | 0 |
| No Result | 2 | 2 |
Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders timeline
Let us moving ahead and know about the timeline started from beginning to till IPL season.
2008: Super Over Thriller in the Inaugural Season
In 2008, Rajasthan Royals were the underdogs, led by Shane Warne, the team played fearlessly. On the other side, KKR was led by Saurav Ganguly and had the star power of Brendon Mccullum who smashed a historic 158* in the first ever IPL match.
In both of the league matches of that season, RR beat KKR including a Super Over win.
2009: IPL in South Africa
The IPL season 2009 was held in Cape Town, South Africa, due to the general elections. This season saw mixed results.
In the first league match between these two teams, KKR defeated RR in a low scoring match.
However, in the second match, RR bounced back and won the match.
But this season both teams failed to reach the playoffs.
2010-2011: KKR turns the tables
In those years, KKR started getting the better of RR.
- In 2010, KKR won both matches against Rajasthan Royals which also included a massive win in one match where they chased down the score easily.
- In 2011, RR defeated KKR in the first match but in the next match KKR came back strongly and won the match.
2012-2014: KKR’s Golden Period
This was the golden period for Kolkata Knight Riders. They won the IPL in 2012 and 2014 and dominated most teams.
- In 2012, KKR beat RR in both league matches.
- In 2013, RR won in the first league match of that season against KKR while in the next one, they lost the match.
- In 2014, the first match between RR vs KKR held in UAE in which RR won in the Super Over against KKR. Also, in the next match, they again beat KKR and secured the win by 10 runs.
This period saw the rise of several players like Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Robin Uthappa for KKR and players like Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson were consistent with the bat for their team RR.
2015: Mixed Results
In the 2015 IPL season, both RR and KKR won one match each.
RR won the first match in which Steve Smith inning played an important role in winning.
Whereas in the other one, KKR came back strongly and won the match with a solid performance.
Moreover, both teams qualified for playoffs but KKR could not go beyond the league stage due to net run rate.
2016-2017: RR Suspended
Rajasthan Royals were banned from the IPL for two years, in 2016 and 2017, because of the spot-fixing case. So there were no matches between RR and KKR. However KKR kept playing matches with other teams during this period.
2018: RR Returns, but KKR Dominates
Rajasthan Royals returns in 2018 IPL season but KKR proved to be the stronger side.
KKR defeated RR in both of the league matches.
However, they again faced off in the Eliminator match where KKR beat RR and knocking them out of the tournament.
2019: One Win Each
In the season 2019, both teams win one match each.
KKR won easily in the first league match of that season where Chris Lynn batting impressed the audience.
But in the next match, RR pulled off a stunning chase with Riyan Parag and Jofra Archer finishing the game under pressure.
2020: IPL in UAE, KKR Dominates Again
Due to the COVID 19 in India, IPL 2020 was held in UAE, and KKR won both league matches against RR.
In the first match Shubhman Gill played a brilliant inning for the team, KKR.
And in the second match, Pat Cummins destroyed RR’s top order which helped KKR in winning the match easily.
2021: Rajasthan Turns to Shine
In 2021, RR and KKR shared one win each again. RR won the first match with good bowling.
Later in the season, KKR won easily, as Ferguson and Narine bowled very well.
Despite the ups and downs, both teams could not make it to the final.
2022: Jos Buttler Show
The IPL 2022 season was all about Jos Buttler for Rajasthan Royals. He smashed a century against KKR in one of the most entertaining matches of the season.
In the first match, RR scored 217/5, and KKR came close but lost the game by just 7 runs.
In the next match, KKR took revenge by chasing down a modest total, thanks to Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh.
Overall, RR had a strong season and made it to the final but lost to Gujarat Titans. KKR missed out on the playoffs.
2023: Yashasvi Jaiswal creates history
The RR vs KKR match in that season witnessed a historic moment.
Yashasvi Jaiswal hit the fastest fifty in IPL history, scoring 50 runs in just 13 balls and then went on to make the 98 not out. RR chased down the score of 149 and won the match by 9 wickets, thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson.
2024: Another Balanced Season
The IPL 2024 saw two competitive games between RR and KKR.
RR won the first match by 2 wickets in a high scoring thriller. Jos Buttler again played a brilliant knock, scoring a match winning century.
However, KKR emerged victorious, thanks to Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.
Both teams reached the playoffs, but KKR advanced to the final. However, they lost in the final to the Chennai Super Kings.
2025: Season of Revenge
In the recent IPL season, KKR won both matches against Rajasthan Royals.
In the first match KKR decided to bowl after winning the toss. RR scored 151/9, after that KKR chased down the score in just losing 2 wickets and won the match, thanks to Quinton De Kock who played a massive inning of 97*.
In the next match held in Eden Gardens, KKR opted to bat first after winning the toss. They scored 206/4, in which late fireworks of Andre Russell played a crucial inning. However, in return, RR played strongly, thanks to Rayan Parag who played an inning of 95 runs. But unfortunately, they lost the match by just 1 run.
Final Words
The RR vs KKR timeline has been a rollercoaster. Both teams have had their ups and downs, thrilling matches, Super Over Wins, and unforgettable performances. While KKR has had more wins. RR have often delivered magic moments like Yashasvi’s notable fifty and Buttler’s century.
As we look forward to IPL 2025, fans of both sides will hope for more close contests, game changing performances and may be a new chapter in this timeline.
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