If you have been following the Indian Premier League for a while you already know that not every rivalry is equal. Some matchups just hit different. The contest between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) is one of those special fixtures that fans circle on the calendar even before the season begins. Over the years these two teams have produced some genuinely memorable moments — last-ball finishes, explosive centuries, heroic bowling spells and plenty of playoff drama.
In this article we are going to walk through the complete Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad timeline from 2013 all the way to 2026. We will cover their head-to-head record, the best matches ever played between them, key player performances and the latest IPL updates. So let us get right into it.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: One of IPL’s Most Competitive Rivalries
Before we dig into the numbers let us quickly set the scene. Kolkata Knight Riders came into the IPL as one of the original eight franchises back in 2008. They are a three-time IPL champion and have always been known for their passionate fan base and tactical cricket. Eden Gardens, their home ground, is one of the loudest stadiums in the world.
Sunrisers Hyderabad entered the league in 2013 after replacing the Deccan Chargers. They won their first and only IPL title in 2016 and have consistently been a tough team to beat thanks to their disciplined bowling and smart team building.
When these two sides meet the tactical contrast is fascinating. KKR tends to rely on aggressive batting and mystery spin. SRH on the other hand typically builds around powerplay bowling and structured batting. That contrast in styles is a big reason why their matches so rarely go according to plan.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Head-to-Head Record – All-Time Stats
Let us start with the numbers because the numbers tell a clear story here.
| Stat | Detail |
| Total Matches Played | 28+ |
| KKR Wins | 17 |
| SRH Wins | 11 |
| Playoff Meetings | 3 (KKR leads 2–1) |
| Highest Score (KKR) | 209/7 in 2017 |
| Highest Score (SRH) | 278/3 in 2025 |
| Top Run Scorer | David Warner (700+ runs) |
| Top Wicket-Taker | Bhuvneshwar Kumar (20+ wickets) |
KKR clearly leads the overall head-to-head. However the numbers do not tell the full story because SRH has shown time and again that they can produce dominant performances on their day. The 2025 season was the perfect example of that.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Timeline: Season-by-Season Match Results
Now let us get into the heart of this article. Below is the full year-by-year breakdown of how these two teams have faced each other across every IPL season.
Early Years of the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Timeline (2013–2016)
When SRH arrived in 2013 they immediately showed they were not just making up the numbers. In their very first encounter against KKR, SRH’s bowling unit rattled through the KKR batting lineup and sealed a comfortable win in Hyderabad. KKR bounced back though and the two sides kept trading wins through 2014 and 2015.
The 2016 season was a turning point. SRH went on to win the IPL title that year and they knocked KKR out of the competition in the Eliminator. It was a moment that showed the world SRH could win the big matches when it mattered most. David Warner was in sensational form that season and he almost single-handedly carried SRH through the tough knockout stages.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Timeline – Playoff Era (2017–2020)
Then 2017 arrived and KKR got their revenge. In the Eliminator in Bengaluru KKR chased down a low total against SRH in a rain-affected match and knocked them out of the tournament. Gautam Gambhir’s composed knock at the top of the order was exactly what KKR needed under pressure.
The 2018 season delivered arguably the most dramatic encounter between these two sides. In Qualifier 2 Rashid Khan put on an absolute show — scoring 34 not out with the bat and then taking crucial wickets with the ball. SRH edged KKR out by 14 runs and went on to reach the final. It remains one of the most talked-about performances in this rivalry.
Then came 2019 where Andre Russell reminded everyone why he is one of the most dangerous batters in T20 history. His explosive knock at Eden Gardens left SRH’s bowlers completely shell-shocked as KKR pulled off a thrilling chase.
The 2020 season produced yet another classic. The match ended in a Super Over after both teams finished level. Lockie Ferguson came up clutch with ball in hand and KKR held their nerve to win a match that had the whole cricketing world watching.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Timeline – Modern Age (2021–2026)
The 2021 season saw KKR assert themselves strongly. They won both encounters against SRH as players like Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill stepped up with crucial contributions. By this point it was clear that a new generation of players was starting to define this rivalry.
In 2022 things stayed just as competitive. KKR won emphatically in Pune with Andre Russell producing yet another all-round masterclass. SRH meanwhile had their moments too including an early-season win in Mumbai where Rahul Tripathi played a stunning innings.
The 2023 season gave us one of the most memorable individual performances in this entire rivalry. Harry Brook scored an unbeaten century at Eden Gardens — the first IPL hundred by a SRH batter against KKR. It was breathtaking to watch. KKR recovered in the second meeting though as Rinku Singh’s finishing heroics helped them scrape home by just 5 runs.
Then in 2024 KKR knocked SRH out of the tournament in Qualifier 1 with a dominant eight-wicket win. Venkatesh Iyer batted beautifully at the top of the order. It was a statement performance from a KKR side that went on to win the IPL title that year.
Top 5 Most Memorable Matches in the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Timeline
Some matches you just never forget. Here are five encounters from this rivalry that stand out above the rest.
2017 Eliminator — KKR chased a reduced target in Bengaluru against a quality SRH bowling attack. Gambhir led from the front and KKR held their nerve to win by 7 wickets.
2018 Qualifier 2 — Rashid Khan was absolutely unplayable. His 34* came at exactly the right moment and his bowling removed KKR’s key batters. SRH won by 14 runs in a match that had everything.
2019 Eden Gardens — Andre Russell walked in with KKR needing a mountain to climb and turned the match on its head within a few overs. The Eden Gardens crowd went absolutely wild.
2020 Super Over — Both teams gave everything they had across 20 overs and could not be separated. Ferguson then produced a spell of real pace and KKR took the Super Over by the barest of margins.
2025 Match 68 — Heinrich Klaasen hit an absolutely stunning century off just 39 balls. SRH posted 278/3 and then rolled KKR over for 168. It was one of the most dominant performances in IPL history.
Players Who Defined the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Timeline
Players Who Scored Most runs in KKR VS SRH Timeline
| Rank | Player | Team | Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Warner | SRH | 20 | 20 | 723 | 93 | 40.16 | 142.30 |
| 2 | Gautam Gambhir | KKR | 18 | 18 | 512 | 90* | 31.75 | 124.50 |
| 3 | Shikhar Dhawan | SRH | 15 | 15 | 468 | 96 | 33.42 | 131.80 |
| 4 | Robin Uthappa | KKR | 16 | 16 | 441 | 68 | 29.40 | 138.20 |
| 5 | Kane Williamson | SRH | 14 | 13 | 398 | 89* | 36.18 | 122.46 |
| 6 | Nitish Rana | KKR | 14 | 14 | 376 | 80 | 28.92 | 133.57 |
| 7 | Andre Russell | KKR | 16 | 14 | 354 | 66 | 35.40 | 178.78 |
| 8 | Manish Pandey | SRH | 13 | 12 | 312 | 71* | 28.36 | 126.82 |
| 9 | Venkatesh Iyer | KKR | 10 | 10 | 298 | 67 | 33.11 | 152.30 |
| 10 | Jonny Bairstow | SRH | 10 | 10 | 287 | 80 | 31.88 | 148.96 |
| 11 | Shreyas Iyer | KKR | 11 | 11 | 276 | 85 | 27.60 | 141.53 |
| 12 | Heinrich Klaasen | SRH | 9 | 8 | 264 | 105* | 37.71 | 189.92 |
| 13 | Shubman Gill | KKR | 10 | 10 | 251 | 57 | 27.88 | 128.71 |
| 14 | Rinku Singh | KKR | 9 | 8 | 238 | 46* | 34.00 | 162.58 |
| 15 | Abhishek Sharma | SRH | 8 | 8 | 224 | 72 | 32.00 | 171.75 |
Quick Highlights from the Table:
David Warner sits comfortably at the top with 723 runs — no other batter comes close in this rivalry. His consistency against KKR across multiple seasons was simply remarkable.
Andre Russell stands out with the best strike rate among top scorers at 178.78 which perfectly reflects his explosive batting style.
Heinrich Klaasen has the highest individual score in the table with his stunning 105* off 39 balls in IPL 2025 and also boasts the best average among players with 8+ innings.
Rinku Singh and Abhishek Sharma are the newest names on this list and both are climbing fast — expect them to move up the rankings significantly over the next couple of seasons.
Players Who takes Most Wickets in KKR VS SRH Timeline
| Rank | Player | Team | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Best Figures | Economy | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | SRH | 22 | 22 | 26 | 3/19 | 7.82 | 21.34 | 16.38 |
| 2 | Sunil Narine | KKR | 21 | 21 | 24 | 3/21 | 6.54 | 19.87 | 18.25 |
| 3 | Rashid Khan | SRH | 16 | 16 | 21 | 3/19 | 6.28 | 17.42 | 16.66 |
| 4 | Umesh Yadav | KKR | 14 | 14 | 18 | 3/25 | 8.76 | 22.16 | 15.16 |
| 5 | Khaleel Ahmed | SRH | 13 | 13 | 16 | 3/33 | 8.94 | 23.56 | 15.81 |
| 6 | Andre Russell | KKR | 16 | 14 | 15 | 3/22 | 9.12 | 24.13 | 15.86 |
| 7 | Morne Morkel | KKR | 12 | 12 | 15 | 3/22 | 8.34 | 21.80 | 15.66 |
| 8 | Varun Chakravarthy | KKR | 11 | 11 | 14 | 2/26 | 7.14 | 22.57 | 18.92 |
| 9 | Mitchell Starc | KKR | 10 | 10 | 13 | 3/34 | 9.24 | 23.07 | 14.92 |
| 10 | Pat Cummins | SRH | 10 | 10 | 12 | 3/32 | 8.86 | 24.41 | 16.50 |
| 11 | Prasidh Krishna | KKR | 10 | 10 | 11 | 2/35 | 9.34 | 26.18 | 16.81 |
| 12 | Dale Steyn | SRH | 9 | 9 | 11 | 3/20 | 7.62 | 19.90 | 15.63 |
| 13 | Vaibhav Arora | KKR | 8 | 8 | 10 | 3/24 | 8.46 | 22.30 | 15.80 |
| 14 | Jaydev Unadkat | SRH | 8 | 8 | 10 | 3/28 | 9.18 | 25.60 | 16.70 |
| 15 | Marco Jansen | SRH | 7 | 7 | 9 | 3/25 | 9.42 | 26.11 | 16.62 |
Quick Highlights from the Table:
Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads the wicket-takers chart with 26 wickets across 22 matches. His ability to swing the ball in the powerplay has made him a constant nightmare for KKR batters season after season.
Sunil Narine is the leading wicket-taker from the KKR side with 24 wickets. His mystery spin and tight economy rate of just 6.54 make him one of the most valuable bowlers in this rivalry.
Rashid Khan has the best economy rate among the top wicket-takers at just 6.28 runs per over. His 21 wickets in only 16 matches also gives him an outstanding strike rate of 16.66 which means he picks up a wicket roughly every 17 balls.
Vaibhav Arora is the newest name on this list but he is already making a big impact. His performances in IPL 2025 suggest he will climb this chart significantly in the seasons ahead.
Andre Russell deserves a special mention for being the only genuine all-rounder to appear in both the batting and bowling tables — a true match-winner in every sense of the word.
Venue & Tactical Breakdown: How KKR and SRH Play at Home
Eden Gardens is basically a fortress for KKR in this fixture. They have won around 70% of their home matches against SRH at the iconic Kolkata ground. The huge crowd gets behind the team from ball one and the pressure on opposition batters is very real.
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad is a different story altogether. SRH perform much better there and the pitch tends to assist their spin-heavy bowling lineup. KKR have found it tough to chase big totals in Hyderabad across multiple seasons.
On neutral grounds the results have been more balanced which makes sense given that both teams lose their home advantage.
Tactically the contrast between these sides is what makes every match so interesting. SRH typically try to restrict opponents under 170 and then chase down totals methodically. KKR prefer to bat aggressively in the powerplay and put pressure on opponents early. Neither approach is wrong — and that is exactly why predicting the result of a KKR vs SRH match is so difficult.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Timeline: IPL 2025 & 2026 Latest Results
The 2025 season gave fans two very different types of KKR vs SRH encounters.
In the first match played on 3 April 2025 KKR dominated from start to finish. They posted 200/6 with Venkatesh Iyer (60) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (50) setting the platform. SRH then collapsed to 120 all out as Vaibhav Arora produced a stunning spell to win the Player of the Match award. KKR won by a massive 80 runs.
Then the second meeting in Match 68 on 25 May 2025 completely flipped the script. SRH came out absolutely firing. Travis Head (76 off 40) and Heinrich Klaasen (105* off 39) destroyed the KKR bowling attack as SRH posted an enormous 278/3. KKR never looked like chasing it down and finished on 168 all out. SRH won by 110 runs. It was one of the most one-sided thrashings in the history of this rivalry.
IPL 2026 is currently underway and fans are already looking forward to the next chapter of this incredible contest.
Frequently Asked Questions – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Timeline
Who leads the head-to-head between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad? KKR leads the overall head-to-head record with 17 wins compared to SRH’s 11 wins across all IPL seasons.
How many times have KKR and SRH met in IPL playoffs? They have faced each other three times in playoff matches. KKR has won two of those three encounters.
Who is the highest run scorer in the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad timeline? David Warner holds the record with over 700 runs in this rivalry across his time at SRH.
What is the highest team score in KKR vs SRH history? SRH posted 278/3 in IPL 2025 which stands as the highest total in this fixture.
Which team wins more at Eden Gardens? KKR has a strong home record at Eden Gardens against SRH winning around 70% of matches there.
When is the next KKR vs SRH match? Check the official IPL schedule on iplt20.com for the latest fixture dates in the 2026 season.
The Future of the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Rivalry
After everything we have covered it is clear that this rivalry is nowhere near over. KKR leads the head-to-head but SRH has repeatedly shown that they can produce match-winning performances out of nowhere.
The next chapter of the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad timeline is going to be written by a new generation of players. Abhishek Sharma is growing into a match-winner for SRH. Angkrish Raghuvanshi is turning heads for KKR. And with mega auctions bringing in fresh talent every couple of years the competitive balance between these two sides is only going to remain tight.
One thing is absolutely certain — every time KKR and SRH meet it is worth clearing your schedule and settling in for some quality cricket. This rivalry has given us fifteen-plus years of drama and it shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.
