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The Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline covers one of the most familiar rivalries in Indian Premier League history. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), formerly Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have faced each other regularly since the inaugural IPL season in 2008.
Their rivalry has featured huge totals, dramatic run chases, one-sided victories, last-over finishes and memorable individual performances. KKR have historically held the upper hand, but RCB have produced several important victories, including a number of successful chases.
Through the 2026 IPL season, the teams had been scheduled to meet 38 times, with one match abandoned and 37 producing a result. KKR had won 20 completed matches and RCB 17. The latest meeting came on 13 May 2026 in Raipur, where RCB chased 193 to defeat KKR by six wickets, with Virat Kohli scoring an unbeaten 105.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Head-to-Head
| Category | RCB | KKR |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled meetings through 2026 | 38 | 38 |
| Completed matches | 37 | 37 |
| Wins | 17 | 20 |
| Abandoned/No Result | 1 | 1 |
| Highest score | 221 | 222 |
| Major rivalry period | 2008–2026 | 2008–2026 |
The early years were relatively balanced, but KKR established a stronger overall record during several seasons. KKR’s dominance was especially clear between 2017 and 2018, when they won four consecutive matches against RCB. Recent results, however, have included important RCB victories.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2008
The rivalry began in spectacular fashion during the inaugural IPL season.
On 18 April 2008, KKR defeated RCB by 140 runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Brendon McCullum produced one of the most famous innings in IPL history, scoring an unbeaten 158.
The second meeting came on 8 May 2008 at Eden Gardens. KKR again won, this time by five runs after RCB finished on 124/4 chasing 130.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Apr 2008 | Bengaluru | KKR won by 140 runs |
| 8 May 2008 | Kolkata | KKR won by 5 runs |
These two matches gave KKR a 2-0 advantage at the beginning of the rivalry.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2009
RCB responded strongly in 2009.
The teams met twice during the South Africa-hosted IPL season. RCB won both matches.
On 29 April, RCB chased 140 and won by five wickets with one ball remaining. On 12 May, RCB again completed a successful chase, defeating KKR by six wickets.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr 2009 | Durban | RCB won by 5 wickets |
| 12 May 2009 | Centurion | RCB won by 6 wickets |
The two victories brought RCB closer to KKR in the early head-to-head battle.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2010
The teams split their two matches in 2010.
KKR won the first match at Eden Gardens by seven wickets, chasing 136.
RCB responded in Bengaluru, scoring 162/3 and defeating KKR by seven wickets.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Mar 2010 | Kolkata | KKR won by 7 wickets |
| 10 Apr 2010 | Bengaluru | RCB won by 7 wickets |
The 2010 meetings continued the competitive nature of the rivalry.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2011
RCB won both meetings in 2011.
The first match at Eden Gardens saw RCB chase 172 with nine wickets in hand. RCB then defeated KKR again in Bengaluru by four wickets using the DLS method after a rain-affected contest.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2011 | Kolkata | RCB won by 9 wickets |
| 14 May 2011 | Bengaluru | RCB won by 4 wickets, DLS |
The 2011 season temporarily shifted the rivalry strongly toward RCB.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2012
KKR dominated both matches in 2012.
KKR won the Bengaluru match by 42 runs after scoring 165/8. Later at Eden Gardens, KKR scored 190/4 and defeated RCB by 47 runs.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Apr 2012 | Bengaluru | KKR won by 42 runs |
| 28 Apr 2012 | Kolkata | KKR won by 47 runs |
The two victories were important for KKR, who were building toward their first IPL championship that season.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2013
The teams split the two 2013 matches.
RCB won the first meeting by eight wickets at Bengaluru after chasing 155.
KKR responded in the second match at Ranchi, winning by five wickets after restricting RCB to 115/9.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 2013 | Bengaluru | RCB won by 8 wickets |
| 12 May 2013 | Ranchi | KKR won by 5 wickets |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2014
KKR won both matches in 2014, including one of the closest finishes in the rivalry.
On 24 April at Sharjah, KKR defended 150/7 to defeat RCB by only two runs.
On 22 May, KKR scored 195/4 at Eden Gardens and defeated RCB by 30 runs.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Apr 2014 | Sharjah | KKR won by 2 runs |
| 22 May 2014 | Kolkata | KKR won by 30 runs |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2015
RCB won both meetings in 2015.
The first match at Eden Gardens was a close chase, with RCB winning by three wickets after reaching 179/7.
RCB then defeated KKR at Bengaluru by seven wickets.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 2015 | Kolkata | RCB won by 3 wickets |
| 2 May 2015 | Bengaluru | RCB won by 7 wickets |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2016
The teams again shared the honours.
KKR won the first match at Bengaluru by five wickets, chasing 186.
RCB responded emphatically at Eden Gardens. RCB scored 186/1 and defeated KKR by nine wickets.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2 May 2016 | Bengaluru | KKR won by 5 wickets |
| 16 May 2016 | Kolkata | RCB won by 9 wickets |
The second match was particularly dominant, with RCB completing the chase with eight balls remaining.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2017
KKR enjoyed complete dominance in 2017.
The Knight Riders won the first match in Kolkata by 82 runs.
They then defeated RCB in Bengaluru by six wickets, completing the chase with 29 balls remaining.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2017 | Kolkata | KKR won by 82 runs |
| 7 May 2017 | Bengaluru | KKR won by 6 wickets |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2018
KKR won both matches again in 2018.
The first match at Eden Gardens ended with KKR winning by four wickets.
The second meeting at Bengaluru saw KKR win by six wickets.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Apr 2018 | Kolkata | KKR won by 4 wickets |
| 29 Apr 2018 | Bengaluru | KKR won by 6 wickets |
This meant KKR had won four consecutive matches against RCB across the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2019
The teams split the two 2019 matches.
KKR won the first meeting in Bengaluru by five wickets.
RCB responded in Kolkata, winning by 10 runs.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Apr 2019 | Bengaluru | KKR won by 5 wickets |
| 19 Apr 2019 | Kolkata | RCB won by 10 runs |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2020
RCB won both meetings during the UAE-based IPL season.
RCB defeated KKR by 82 runs in Sharjah and then won the second match by eight wickets in Abu Dhabi.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 2020 | Sharjah | RCB won by 82 runs |
| 21 Oct 2020 | Abu Dhabi | RCB won by 8 wickets |
The two victories marked an important change in momentum after KKR had dominated the rivalry in 2017 and 2018.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2021
The teams met three times in 2021, including an Eliminator.
RCB won the first match by 38 runs in Chennai.
KKR then won the next league match by nine wickets in Abu Dhabi.
The teams met again in the Eliminator in Sharjah, where KKR won by four wickets.
| Date | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Apr 2021 | League match | RCB won by 38 runs |
| 20 Sep 2021 | League match | KKR won by 9 wickets |
| 11 Oct 2021 | Eliminator | KKR won by 4 wickets |
KKR’s Eliminator victory ended RCB’s 2021 playoff campaign.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2022
The teams met once in 2022.
RCB defeated KKR by three wickets in Mumbai after successfully chasing KKR’s 128.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Mar 2022 | Mumbai | RCB won by 3 wickets |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2023
KKR dominated both matches in 2023.
At Eden Gardens, KKR scored 204/7 and defeated RCB by 81 runs.
The second meeting at Bengaluru was closer, but KKR still won by 21 runs after scoring 200/5.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Apr 2023 | Kolkata | KKR won by 81 runs |
| 26 Apr 2023 | Bengaluru | KKR won by 21 runs |
The two victories strengthened KKR’s overall advantage in the head-to-head record.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2024
KKR won both matches in 2024, with the second producing one of the closest finishes in IPL history.
On 29 March, KKR chased 183 and won by seven wickets.
On 21 April, KKR scored 222/6 and defeated RCB by just one run after RCB reached 221.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Mar 2024 | Bengaluru | KKR won by 7 wickets |
| 21 Apr 2024 | Kolkata | KKR won by 1 run |
The one-run victory was particularly memorable because RCB came extremely close to chasing down a target of 223.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2025
The 2025 season produced two scheduled meetings.
RCB opened the season against KKR at Eden Gardens on 22 March and won by seven wickets. RCB chased KKR’s 174/8 in only 16.2 overs, with Virat Kohli scoring 59 from 36 balls.
The second scheduled meeting at Bengaluru on 17 May was abandoned because of rain, so neither side received a win from that fixture. Both teams received one point.
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Mar 2025 | Kolkata | RCB won by 7 wickets |
| 17 May 2025 | Bengaluru | Abandoned |
The 2025 result was significant because RCB had finally won an IPL title that season, defeating Punjab Kings in the final.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline 2026
The latest completed meeting between the teams came on 13 May 2026 at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.
KKR batted first and scored 192/4 in 20 overs. Angkrish Raghuvanshi made 71 from 46 balls, while Rinku Singh finished unbeaten on 49 from 29 balls.
RCB chased 193 and reached 194/4 in 19.1 overs, winning by six wickets.
Virat Kohli produced the decisive performance, scoring an unbeaten 105 from 60 balls. It was his ninth IPL century and earned him Player of the Match honours.
| Date | Venue | KKR | RCB | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 May 2026 | Raipur | 192/4 | 194/4 | RCB won by 6 wickets |
The victory was especially important because it came during an RCB season in which the franchise eventually retained the IPL championship. RCB won the 2026 IPL final against Gujarat Titans, becoming two-time champions.
Complete Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline
| Season | Matches | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2 | KKR won both |
| 2009 | 2 | RCB won both |
| 2010 | 2 | 1-1 |
| 2011 | 2 | RCB won both |
| 2012 | 2 | KKR won both |
| 2013 | 2 | 1-1 |
| 2014 | 2 | KKR won both |
| 2015 | 2 | RCB won both |
| 2016 | 2 | 1-1 |
| 2017 | 2 | KKR won both |
| 2018 | 2 | KKR won both |
| 2019 | 2 | 1-1 |
| 2020 | 2 | RCB won both |
| 2021 | 3 | KKR won 2-1 |
| 2022 | 1 | RCB won |
| 2023 | 2 | KKR won both |
| 2024 | 2 | KKR won both |
| 2025 | 2 | RCB won 1, 1 abandoned |
| 2026 | 1 | RCB won |
| Total scheduled | 38 | RCB 17, KKR 20, 1 abandoned |
The season-by-season results are consistent with the available match-result databases, including the 2026 victory that brought RCB to 17 completed wins against KKR’s 20.
Biggest Wins in RCB vs KKR Timeline
The rivalry has produced several large victories.
| Season | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | KKR | 140 runs |
| 2017 | KKR | 82 runs |
| 2020 | RCB | 82 runs |
| 2023 | KKR | 81 runs |
| 2021 | KKR | 9 wickets |
| 2016 | RCB | 9 wickets |
KKR’s 140-run victory in the inaugural IPL match remains one of the most famous results in the rivalry. RCB’s biggest run-margin victories have included the 82-run win in 2020 and other strong performances during the UAE and Indian editions.
Closest Matches in Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline
Some of the rivalry’s most memorable games have been decided by extremely small margins.
KKR won by 1 run in 2024
KKR scored 222/6 at Eden Gardens, while RCB finished on 221. The one-run result remains one of the closest games in the rivalry.
KKR won by 2 runs in 2014
KKR successfully defended 150/7 against RCB at Sharjah, winning by only two runs.
KKR won by 5 runs in 2008
The second-ever IPL meeting between the teams ended with KKR defending a narrow total and winning by five runs.
Virat Kohli and the RCB vs KKR Rivalry
Virat Kohli has been one of the most important players in the history of RCB’s rivalry with KKR.
His performances have included successful chases, major scores and several memorable innings.
The latest example came in 2026 when Kohli scored an unbeaten 105 from 60 balls to guide RCB to a six-wicket victory in Raipur. The innings included 11 boundaries and three sixes.
Kohli also scored 59 in RCB’s seven-wicket victory over KKR in the opening match of the 2025 IPL season.
Brendon McCullum’s Historic 158
One of the defining moments in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline occurred in the very first match.
Brendon McCullum scored an unbeaten 158 from 73 balls for KKR on 18 April 2008.
KKR finished on 222/3 and bowled RCB out for 82, winning by 140 runs.
The performance became an iconic moment in IPL history and helped introduce the league to a global audience.
RCB vs KKR Rivalry at Different Venues
The teams have played at many venues in India and overseas.
| Venue | Notable RCB vs KKR Matches |
|---|---|
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Numerous Bengaluru meetings |
| Eden Gardens | Numerous Kolkata meetings |
| Sharjah Cricket Stadium | 2014 and 2021 matches |
| Sheikh Zayed Stadium | 2020 and 2021 matches |
| Wankhede Stadium | 2022 match |
| JSCA International Stadium | 2013 match |
| Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium | 2026 match |
The 2026 encounter was played in Raipur, where RCB successfully chased KKR’s 192/4.
RCB vs KKR Rivalry: Major Trends
The overall rivalry shows several clear patterns.
KKR’s historical advantage
KKR have won more completed matches than RCB. Their strongest periods came in 2017-18 and 2023-24.
RCB’s successful chases
RCB have recorded several impressive chasing victories, including the nine-wicket victory in 2016 and the six-wicket win in 2026.
High-scoring contests
The rivalry has frequently produced totals above 180. KKR’s 222/3 in 2008 and RCB’s 221 in the 2024 one-run defeat are notable examples.
Close finishes
The 2014 two-run defeat and 2024 one-run defeat demonstrate how competitive some matches have been.
Recent RCB momentum
RCB won the opening meeting in 2025 and the latest meeting in 2026. The 2025 second fixture was abandoned, so KKR did not get an opportunity to respond in that match.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did RCB and KKR first play each other?
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders first met on 18 April 2008 in the inaugural IPL match. KKR won by 140 runs after Brendon McCullum scored 158 not out.
Who has won more matches between RCB and KKR?
KKR have won more completed IPL matches in the rivalry. Through the 2026 meeting, KKR had 20 wins compared with RCB’s 17, with one scheduled match abandoned.
What was the biggest RCB vs KKR victory?
KKR’s biggest victory was their 140-run win over RCB in the first IPL match in 2008.
What was the closest RCB vs KKR match?
KKR defeated RCB by one run in the 2024 IPL at Eden Gardens. RCB scored 221 after KKR made 222/6.
Who scored 158 for KKR against RCB in 2008?
Brendon McCullum scored an unbeaten 158 from 73 balls in the first IPL match between KKR and RCB.
Who won the latest RCB vs KKR match?
RCB won the latest completed meeting by six wickets in Raipur on 13 May 2026. Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 105.
What was the result of RCB vs KKR in 2025?
RCB defeated KKR by seven wickets in Kolkata on 22 March 2025. Their second scheduled meeting on 17 May was abandoned because of rain.
How many times did RCB and KKR play in 2021?
RCB and KKR played three times in 2021. RCB won the first league match, while KKR won the second league match and the Eliminator.
Which team has dominated the rivalry recently?
The balance has changed from season to season. KKR dominated in 2023 and 2024, while RCB won their completed meetings in 2025 and 2026.
Key Takeaways
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline is filled with memorable IPL moments dating back to the competition’s first match in 2008.
- KKR won the inaugural match by 140 runs.
- Brendon McCullum scored an unbeaten 158 in that historic opening game.
- RCB won both meetings in 2009 and 2011.
- KKR dominated both matches in 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024.
- RCB won both matches in 2015 and 2020.
- KKR won the 2021 Eliminator by four wickets.
- RCB won the 2022 meeting by three wickets.
- KKR defeated RCB by one run in a dramatic 2024 contest.
- RCB beat KKR by seven wickets in the opening match of the 2025 season.
- The second 2025 meeting was abandoned because of rain.
- RCB defeated KKR by six wickets in the latest meeting in 2026.
- Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 105 in the 2026 victory.
- Through the 2026 meeting, KKR led the completed head-to-head record 20-17.
The rivalry remains one of the most recognizable contests in the IPL, combining major batting performances, powerful bowling attacks, close finishes and memorable moments from some of the league’s biggest stars.
