KKR lead the RCB vs KKR head to head record 20-15 across 36 matches (1 no result) in IPL history. This is one of the IPL’s oldest and most dramatic rivalries. It started with the very first IPL match in 2008 at Chinnaswamy, and 17 years later, these two teams opened IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens.
Between them, you get Virat Kohli’s 1,021 runs against one franchise, RCB’s record-low 49 all out, a 1-run thriller in 2024, and both teams winning IPL titles in back-to-back years (KKR in 2024, RCB in 2025). This is a fixture that defines IPL drama.
RCB vs KKR Head to Head: Overall Record
| Category | RCB | KKR |
|---|---|---|
| Matches Played | 36 | 36 |
| Wins | 15 | 20 |
| No Result | 1 | 1 |
| Highest Score | 221 | 222/6 |
| Lowest Score | 49 (all out) | 84 |
KKR’s 20 wins from 36 matches gives them a 58.82% win percentage against RCB, one of the most dominant records any franchise holds against another in the IPL. But RCB have been closing the gap recently. They broke a four-match losing streak against KKR by winning the IPL 2025 opener at Eden Gardens by 7 wickets.
The extremes in this rivalry are striking. RCB’s 49 all out in 2017 remains the lowest team total in IPL history. On the other end, both teams have posted 220+ totals against each other. This is a rivalry that swings between dominance and disaster, with very little middle ground.
League Stage vs Playoff Record
The vast majority of RCB vs KKR matches have been league-stage encounters. The two teams have met in the playoffs as well, including KKR’s crucial 2021 Eliminator victory that ended RCB’s season. KKR hold the advantage in knockout situations too.
Despite facing each other 36 times, a direct RCB-KKR IPL Final has never happened. Given that both teams have now tasted title glory (KKR three times, RCB once), a future final showdown would be one for the ages.
Venue-Wise Head to Head Breakdown
Here is the Venue Wise Records of both Teams:
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Surprisingly, KKR dominate at RCB’s home ground. From 13 matches at Chinnaswamy, KKR have won 9 while RCB have managed just 4 victories. This includes the infamous 49 all out in 2017 and KKR’s lowest-ever IPL total of 82 in the very first IPL match in 2008.
The flat, batting-friendly Chinnaswamy surface has actually favoured KKR’s combination of explosive batting and wrist-spin. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy have consistently troubled RCB’s lineup at their own fortress.
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
KKR also lead at their home ground, winning 8 out of 12 matches played at Eden Gardens against RCB. The spin-friendly conditions have traditionally favoured KKR’s bowling attack. However, RCB broke through in the IPL 2025 opener, chasing down 175 with 22 balls to spare, thanks to Virat Kohli (59*) and Phil Salt (56).
Neutral Venues
The remaining 11 matches were played at neutral venues during COVID-era seasons (2020-2021), early IPL years in South Africa (2009), and Maharashtra-based neutral grounds. RCB have won 7 of these 11 matches, with KKR winning 3 and 1 no result. Neutral conditions have been RCB’s strongest ground in this rivalry.
| Venue | Matches | RCB Wins | KKR Wins | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinnaswamy, Bengaluru | 13 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| Neutral / Other Venues | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
RCB vs KKR: Recent Match Results (2023–2025)
Here are the most recent encounters in this long-running rivalry.
| # | Year | Venue | Winner | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023 | Chinnaswamy | KKR | KKR won by 21 runs |
| 2 | 2023 | Eden Gardens | KKR | KKR won by 81 runs |
| 3 | 2024 | Chinnaswamy | KKR | KKR won by 7 wickets |
| 4 | 2024 | Eden Gardens | KKR | KKR 222/6; won by 1 run |
| 5 | 2025 | Eden Gardens | RCB | RCB 177/3; won by 7 wkts |
| 6 | 2025 | Chinnaswamy | No Result | Abandoned due to rain (May 17) |
KKR won 4 consecutive matches against RCB between 2023 and 2024, including a nail-biting 1-run win at Eden Gardens where they posted 222/6, their highest total in this rivalry. RCB snapped that streak emphatically in the IPL 2025 season opener.
Top 3 Most Memorable RCB vs KKR Encounters
Here are top 3 Memorable Encounters from KKR vs RCB Rivalry:
1. IPL 2024, Eden Gardens: The 1-Run Heartbreaker
This was the kind of match that makes the IPL the greatest cricket league on earth. KKR posted a massive 222/6 at Eden Gardens, their highest-ever score against RCB. The run-chase went down to the final ball, with RCB finishing at 221, falling short by just 1 run after a run-out on the final delivery.
The heartbreak for RCB was immense. One more run and the entire narrative of this rivalry would have shifted. Instead, it added another chapter to KKR’s dominance.
2. IPL 2017, Chinnaswamy: RCB’s Record-Low 49 All Out
No stat captures this rivalry’s extremes better than this. On April 23, 2017, at their own home ground, RCB were bowled out for 49, the lowest team total in IPL history. Nathan Coulter-Nile, Colin de Grandhomme, and Chris Woakes took three wickets each. The highest individual score for RCB was just 9.
The record has stood for nearly a decade and remains one of the most talked-about moments in IPL history. For KKR, it was a display of bowling perfection. For RCB fans, it’s a scar that still stings.
3. IPL 2025, Eden Gardens: RCB Open Their Title Season in Style
The very first match of IPL 2025 saw defending champions KKR host RCB at Eden Gardens, 17 years after these two teams opened the inaugural IPL. Ajinkya Rahane (56 off 31) and Sunil Narine (44 off 26) put on a 103-run second-wicket stand, but Krunal Pandya (3/29) triggered a collapse. KKR managed 174/8.
In the chase, Phil Salt (56 off 31) and Virat Kohli (59* off 36) put on a 95-run opening stand that crushed any KKR hopes. RCB won by 7 wickets with 22 balls to spare. Kohli’s unbeaten fifty also made him the third player to score 1,000 career runs against KKR. It was the start of what became RCB’s historic first IPL title season.
Key Players in the RCB vs KKR Rivalry
Here are the Key Players from the Rivalry:
Top Run-Scorers
| Player | Team | Runs | Notable | 2026 Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | RCB | 1,021 | 3rd to 1K vs single team | RCB |
| Chris Gayle | RCB | 606 | Destructive opener era | Retired |
| AB de Villiers | RCB | 475 | Match-winning cameos | Retired |
| Gautam Gambhir | KKR | 475 | KKR’s original captain | India head coach |
| Brendon McCullum | KKR | 411 | 158 in first-ever IPL match | Retired |
Virat Kohli stands alone as the rivalry’s greatest batter. His 1,021 runs against KKR make him only the third player in IPL history to score 1,000 runs against a single opponent. His unbeaten 59* in the 2025 opener showed he still owns this fixture. For KKR, Gautam Gambhir’s 475 runs as captain defined the franchise’s early dominance over RCB.
Three of the top five run-scorers are RCB legends (Kohli, Gayle, de Villiers), which makes KKR’s 20-15 lead even more impressive. KKR have won this rivalry through collective bowling excellence rather than individual batting heroics.
Top Wicket-Takers
| Player | Team | Wickets | Notable | 2026 Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunil Narine | KKR | 27 | Most wkts in rivalry | KKR |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | RCB | 19 | Leg-spin threat | PBKS |
| R. Vinay Kumar | RCB | 17 | RCB’s early-era pacer | Retired |
| Andre Russell | KKR | 17 | All-round dominance | Retired from IPL |
Sunil Narine has been the single most influential player in this rivalry from a bowling perspective. His 27 wickets against RCB are the most by any bowler in these matchups. His mystery spin has consistently tied RCB’s batters in knots, particularly at Eden Gardens. With Narine still in KKR’s squad for 2026, RCB will need to find new ways to counter him.
Andre Russell’s impact went beyond his 17 wickets. His explosive batting in death overs won multiple matches for KKR against RCB, including a famous 2019 chase where he smashed 48 off 13 balls to turn a lost cause into a KKR victory. His retirement from IPL ahead of 2026 removes one of the rivalry’s most feared match-winners.
Notable Records in This Rivalry
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Lowest IPL Total Ever | RCB 49 all out vs KKR (2017) |
| Highest Score in Rivalry | KKR 222/6 (Eden Gardens, 2024) |
| Closest Result | KKR won by 1 run (2024) |
| Most Runs vs Single Opponent | Kohli 1,021 runs (3rd player ever) |
| Most Wickets in Rivalry | Narine 27 wickets |
| First-Ever IPL Match | KKR 222/3 beat RCB 82 (2008) |
What IPL 2026 Brings to This Rivalry
Here are the some key points that fans should think about:
RCB’s IPL 2026 Squad (Defending Champions)
Rajat Patidar continues as captain after leading RCB to their maiden IPL title in 2025. The squad retains 17 players from the championship-winning team. Virat Kohli (657 runs in IPL 2025), Phil Salt (403 runs, SR 175.98), Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Jacob Bethell, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar form the core.
Key releases include Liam Livingstone (just 112 runs in 10 matches) and Lungi Ngidi. RCB enter IPL 2026 as the team to beat, with Rs 16.40 crore available and 8 slots (2 overseas) for the mini-auction. They won all 7 away matches in IPL 2025, a remarkable record that fueled their title run.
KKR’s IPL 2026 Squad
Ajinkya Rahane continues as captain with Abhishek Nayar as head coach, Shane Watson as assistant coach, and Dwayne Bravo as mentor. The headline signing is Cameron Green (Rs 25.20 crore), the most expensive foreign player in IPL history. Matheesha Pathirana (Rs 18 crore) and Finn Allen are other major additions.
KKR finished 8th in IPL 2025, a dramatic fall from their 2024 title. Andre Russell retired from IPL, Venkatesh Iyer and Quinton de Kock were released. The retained core of Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and Harshit Rana provides continuity, but injuries to Rana and Pathirana ahead of the season are concerns. Blessing Muzarabani has replaced the released Mustafizur Rahman in the squad.
This will be the first RCB-KKR meeting without Andre Russell since 2014. With Green replacing Russell’s all-round role and RCB entering as defending champions, the power dynamic in this rivalry could shift for the first time in years.
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Verdict: KKR Leads The Rivalry By 20 Wins Over RCB’s 15 Wins Currently in IPL
KKR lead 20-15 and that record speaks for itself. They have dominated at both Chinnaswamy (9-4) and Eden Gardens (8-4), which is an unusual combination for any away team. The 49 all out, the 1-run thriller, and four consecutive wins from 2023-2024 all reinforce KKR’s historical superiority.
But context matters. RCB are the defending IPL champions, and their 2025 opener demolition at Eden Gardens showed a team that has evolved beyond the Kohli-dependent batting of old. Phil Salt, Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood, and Tim David have given RCB a depth they have rarely possessed.
KKR, meanwhile, are rebuilding. The departure of Russell, the investment in Green, and the injury concerns around their pace attack make this a transition year. If Narine and Varun continue to trouble RCB’s batters, KKR will remain dangerous. But for the first time in years, RCB enter this rivalry as the stronger team on paper.
The RCB vs KKR head to head may still favour Kolkata in the record books, but the momentum has firmly shifted to Bengaluru. And in IPL cricket, momentum is everything.
