Table of Contents
The Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders rivalry is one of the IPL’s most entertaining and closely fought contests. Since SRH’s entry in 2013, these two sides have produced high-scoring thrillers, tactical masterclasses, and dramatic finishes. Featuring stars like David Warner, Kane Williamson, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and modern power-hitters, this fixture consistently delivers excitement, updating standings and creating lasting memories for fans every season.
Head-to-Head Records & Standings
The two teams split their matches equally in the IPL 2026 season, with each team winning their respective away game.
- Total Matches Played: 31
- Matches Won by KKR: 20
- Matches Won by SRH: 11
- Most Runs (SRH): David Warner (619 runs)
- Most Wickets (SRH): Bhuvneshwar Kumar (24 wickets)
Recent Match Scorecards (IPL 2026 Season)
Match 45 (03 May 2026) Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad
- SRH: 165/10 in 19.0 overs (Travis Head 61, Ishan Kishan 42; Varun Chakaravarthy 3/36, Sunil Narine 2/31)
- KKR: 169/3 in 18.2 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 59, Ajinkya Rahane 43)
- Result: KKR won by 7 wickets
- Highlights: Mystery spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine choked SRH’s middle-order. During the spell, Sunil Narine reached his milestone 200th IPL wicket.
Match 6 (02 April 2026) – Eden Gardens, Kolkata
- SRH: 226/8 in 20.0 overs (Abhishek Sharma 48, Travis Head 46, Heinrich Klaasen 52; Blessing Muzarabani 4/41)
- KKR: 161/10 in 16.0 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 52, Rinku Singh 35; Jaydev Unadkat 3/21)
- Result: SRH won by 65 runs
- Highlights: SRH blasted an 84-run powerplay. Despite Finn Allen’s explosive reply hitting David Payne for 4, 4, 6, 6, 4 in the opening over, KKR collapsed from 120/3 to 161 all out. Nitish Kumar Reddy was named Player of the Match.
KKR vs SRH: Playoff Face-offs
| Year | Match Type | Winner | Key Performer / Turning Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Final | KKR | Mitchell Starc ripped through the SRH top order. SRH was bowled out for 113, the lowest score ever in an IPL Final. |
| 2024 | Qualifier 1 | KKR | KKR chased down 160 easily in just 13.4 overs thanks to explosive fifties from Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer. |
| 2018 | Qualifier 2 | SRH | Rashid Khan delivered an all-round masterclass, smashing 34* off 10 balls and taking 3 wickets for 19 runs. |
| 2017 | Eliminator | KKR | A rain-curtailed match where KKR chased down a revised DLS target of 48 runs in 6 overs under midnight floodlights. |
| 2016 | Eliminator | SRH | Yuvraj Singh’s quickfire 44 and Moises Henriques’ all-round display knocked KKR out, setting up SRH’s maiden title run. |
Key Takeaways from the Playoffs
- Championship Decider: KKR completely dominated their only meeting in an IPL Final (2024), winning by 8 wickets.
- Knockout Balance: In sudden-death matches (Eliminators/Qualifier 2), the score is tied 2-2, making their playoff rivalry incredibly even outside of the 2024 season.
Sunil Narine (KKR) vs. Heinrich Klaasen (SRH)
This is a high-stakes battle in the middle and death overs. Narine relies on his tight lines and mystery variations, while Klaasen is widely regarded as one of the best spin-hitters in modern T20 cricket.
- The Dynamic: Klaasen routinely attempts to sweep or loft Narine over mid-wicket, while Narine counters by pulling his length back or slipping in the quicker carrom ball.
- Impact: This matchup usually decides whether SRH can accelerate heavily in the back half of their innings.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (SRH) vs. Sunil Narine (KKR)
An opening-over showdown whenever Narine comes out to pinch-hit for KKR during the Powerplay.
- The Dynamic: Bhuvneshwar uses his signature outswing to exploit Narine’s lack of footwork, attempting to find the outside edge or disrupt his timing.
- Impact: If Bhuvneshwar strikes early, it stalls KKR’s early momentum; if Narine survives, he quickly takes the game away.
Varun Chakaravarthy (KKR) vs. Abhishek Sharma (SRH)
A premier battle of intent between a fearless young left-handed opener and a crafty right-arm mystery spinner.
- The Dynamic: Abhishek likes to step down the track and hit spinners against the turn. Chakaravarthy counters by changing his pace and extracting extra bounce from the surface.
- Impact: Winning this battle allows KKR to choke SRH’s explosive run-rate right in the middle overs.
The 5 Most Intense & Legendary SRH vs KKR Matches
Here is the ultimate breakdown of the most dramatic, high-stakes, and nail-biting matches played between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders.
| Date / Season | Match Type | The Dramatic Scenario | The Epic Climax |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 2018 | Qualifier 2 | SRH was struggling at 134/6 in the 18th over at Eden Gardens, staring at a below-par total. | The Rashid Khan Show: Rashid smashed 34* off just 10 balls to push SRH to 174. He then took 3/19 and grabbed 2 crucial catches to single-handedly take SRH to the Final. |
| March 23, 2024 | IPL Group Stage | KKR set a massive 209. In response, SRH needed an impossible 60 runs off the last 3 overs. | The Klaasen Storm: Heinrich Klaasen smashed 63 off 29 balls, hitting 8 sixes to bring it down to 7 needed off 5 balls. KKR’s Harshit Rana held his nerve in a final-ball thriller to win by 4 runs. |
| May 17, 2017 | Eliminator | SRH posted a low 128. Massive rain delayed the game for 3 hours, threatening to wash out KKR’s season. | Midnight DLS Chase: At 1:27 AM, KKR was set a revised, chaotic target of 48 runs in just 6 overs. Gautam Gambhir kept his cool to guide KKR home under immense pressure. |
| May 24, 2016 | Eliminator | A knockout game where SRH posted 162. KKR looked completely on track for a comfortable chase. | The Collapse: Heavy tournament favorites KKR completely choked under pressure, losing 4 wickets for just 21 runs. SRH won by 22 runs, sparking their maiden IPL championship run. |
| May 24, 2014 | IPL Group Stage | KKR needed to chase down SRH’s target of 161 in exactly 15.2 overs to steal the 2nd spot on the table. | The 15-Ball Blaster: Yusuf Pathan walked out and played one of the greatest cameos in IPL history, smashing a 15-ball 50. KKR chased it down in 14.2 overs to seal a top-two finish. |
Team Standings Comparison
- Sunrisers Hyderabad: Position 3rd, 14 matches played, 9 wins, 5 losses, 18 points, +0.524 net run rate.
- Kolkata Knight Riders: Position 7th, 14 matches played, 6 wins, 7 losses (and 13 total points with -0.147 net run rate).
The Main Match Summary
- KKR’s Innings: 163/5 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 36, Dinesh Karthik 29*, Eoin Morgan 34).
- SRH’s Innings: 163/6 in 20 overs (David Warner 47*, Jonny Bairstow 36).
- The Final Over Drama: SRH needed a massive 18 runs from the final over. David Warner smashed an injured Andre Russell for three consecutive boundaries to tie the score on the final ball.
The Super Over Breakdown
| Phase | Team / Players Involved | What Happened | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| SRH Batting | Bowler: Lockie Ferguson (KKR) Batsmen: David Warner & Abdul Samad | * Ball 1: Ferguson bowls a perfect yorker and cleans up David Warner. * Ball 2: Abdul Samad takes a quick 2 runs. * Ball 3: Ferguson clean-bowls Samad. | SRH: 2/2 (0.3 overs) Innings ended early due to 2 wickets. |
| KKR Batting | Bowler: T Natarajan (SRH) Batsmen: Eoin Morgan & Dinesh Karthik | * Ball 1: Dot ball. * Ball 2: Single run taken by Morgan. * Ball 3: Karthik takes 2 leg-byes to seal the game. | KKR: 3/0 (0.3 overs) KKR won by 2 wickets. |
Player of the Match
Lockie Ferguson (KKR): Playing his very first game of that season, Ferguson turned into an instant hero. He picked up 3/15 in the main match and then took 2 wickets for just 2 runs in the decisive Super Over.
All-Time Highest Team Totals
Sunrisers Hyderabad holds the absolute record for the highest score in this rivalry, courtesy of a historic performance in 2025.
| Score | Team | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 278/3 | SRH | Delhi | 2025 |
| 235/4 | SRH | Kolkata | 2023 |
| 228/4 | SRH | Kolkata | 2023 |
| 226/8 | SRH | Kolkata | 2026 |
| 222/6 | KKR | Kolkata | 2024 |
All-Time Leading Wicket-Takers
Spin and swing have historically dominated this fixture, with premier Indian pacers and mystery spinners leading the charts.
| Bowler | Team | Wickets Taken |
|---|---|---|
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | SRH | 24 |
| Sunil Narine | KKR | 21 |
| Varun Chakaravarthy | KKR | 17 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | KKR | 12 |
| T Natarajan | SRH | 11 |
Individual Batting Milestones (Centuries & Key Fifties)
While high scores are frequent, only two batsmen have crossed the magical triple-figure mark in the history of KKR vs SRH.
All-Time Centuries
- David Warner (SRH) – 126 off 59 balls (2017): A brutal onslaught at Hyderabad that included 10 fours and 8 massive sixes.
- Harry Brook (SRH) – 100 off 55 balls (2023):* A masterclass in clean hitting at Eden Gardens to notch his maiden IPL century.
Iconic Half-Century Milestones
- Travis Head (SRH) – 89 off 32 balls (2025): An explosive Powerplay demolition that set up SRH’s record 278 total.
- Nitish Rana (KKR) – 80 off 56 balls (2021): A perfectly paced anchor innings that guided KKR to a thrilling close victory.
- Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) – 63 off 29 balls (2024): A near-miraculous death-overs blitz featuring 8 towering sixes.
