From RCB in 2008 to KKR in 2025: IPL teams that failed to build 50-plus opening partnership in a season
Kolkata Knight Riders
(
KKR
) ended their disappointing
IPL 2025
season with a crushing 110-run loss to
Sunrisers Hyderabad
at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Chasing 279, KKR were bowled out for just 168. The highlight of the match was
Heinrich Klaasen
's unbeaten century.
This was KKR's biggest defeat in IPL history in terms of runs. Another low point? They didn't manage a single 50-plus opening partnership the whole season.
1. Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2008
According to Cricbuzz,
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
(RCB) failed to put together a 50-plus opening stand in the very first IPL season in 2008.
RCB, led by
Rahul Dravid
, played in the first-ever IPL match against KKR. They tried many opening combinations, including a young
Virat Kohli
, but none worked out.
Live Events
Their highest opening stand that season was just 37. They finished second from the bottom, winning only four games.
2. Delhi Capitals in 2010
Two years later,
Delhi Capitals
(then known as Delhi Daredevils) had a similar experience in IPL 2010.
Despite having top players like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and David Warner, they couldn't put together a strong opening partnership.
They finished fifth with 14 points, narrowly missing the playoffs.
3. Kolkata Knight Riders in 2025
And now in 2025, KKR have joined this unwanted list. They went through the entire season without a 50-plus stand at the top.
Their main openers, Quinton de Kock and
Sunil Narine
, failed to build momentum. KKR also tried Rahmanullah Gurbaz, but nothing seemed to click.
Inputs from agencies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
18 minutes ago
- India Today
Virat, Anushka are soulmates incomplete without each other: IPL photographer
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 final was iconic in many ways. However, for photojournalist Arun Sharma, what made the day complete was Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma's bond. Sharing a series of images of the couple's happy moments, he called them soulmates, who never left each other's side after the big win in 18 some photos of the couple after RCB's win, photojournalist Arun Sharma stated that he had covered countless matches where he not just captured wins and losses but the raw emotions and memorable moments. He mentioned that his eyes were drawn towards Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma during the celebration at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on June 4. Photo credit: Instagram/arunsharmaht "It was during the RCB celebration of a final IPL match the stadium was alive with cheers, lights flashing, people rejoicing. But amidst the chaos, my eyes were drawn to just two faces," he began his note on Sharma wrote that Virat and Anushka looked like two children. "It felt like I was watching two little children playing together in the middle of that huge stadium. They wanted to greet everyone, pose for pictures, be part of the moment - but never drift away from each other's sight. If one of them moved even slightly away, the other would stop everything just to look for them (sic)," he added. Calling them soulmates, the photographer wrote, "In that moment, they didn't seem like just a married couple. They looked like two soulmates - incomplete without each other (sic)." Photo credit: Instagram/arunsharmaht The photographer said that their moments were imprinted on his heart. He also recalled the couple during the finals of Champions Trophy. "It reminded me of something I had felt once before, during the final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai. They were together then too — calm, grounded, but surrounded by a quiet, deep connection. A bond that silently said, 'I exist because you're there." (sic)," he wholesome moment of the couple was when Kohli kept looking for Anushka, waiting for her as she walked down the stands. The two embraced each other, and she cheered the cricketer as he got emotional. Later, the two clicked photos with the trophy and Kohli dedicated the win to Challengers Bengaluru won their first-ever IPL title in 18 years on June 4. While the team celebrated their ultimate success in Ahmedabad, where the finals took place, their celebration was cut short in Bengaluru after 11 people died in the stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Watch
Hans India
31 minutes ago
- Hans India
Exclusive: Karnataka Cricket Body's Pre-Event Letter Reveals Government's Prior Knowledge Of RCB Victory Ceremony
An exclusive document obtained by India Today exposes that the Karnataka State Cricket Association contacted the state government one day before the tragic stampede, requesting authorization for a victory celebration at Vidhana Soudha in the event of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2025 triumph. The correspondence, dated June 3 and delivered to government offices by 7:30 PM that evening, sought official clearance for DNA Entertainment Networks, an event management company, to organize the felicitation ceremony on the Grand Steps of Vidhana Soudha for June 4. KSCA Chief Executive Officer Shubhendu Ghosh signed the communication addressed to the Department of Personnel & Administrative Reforms, explicitly identifying the distinguished guest list. The letter specifically mentioned that "the Honourable Chief Minister and the Honourable Deputy Chief Minister shall be gracing the occasion & felicitating the RCB Players & Support Staff." The cricket association assured complete collaboration with authorities, stating that Ghosh should be contacted directly for any additional clarifications required by the DPAR office. This pre-planning contradicts subsequent claims about the spontaneous nature of the events. Following the devastating stampede that killed eleven people and injured 56 others outside Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a press conference distancing the state government from the stadium event organization. He emphasized that KSCA, not the government, orchestrated the stadium ceremony. "More than one lakh people gathered in front of the Vidhana Soudha, but thankfully, no untoward incident happened there. However, in the stadium, where the capacity is 35,000, around two to three lakh people turned up. This was entirely unexpected," Siddaramaiah explained to media representatives. The Chief Minister clarified the government's involvement was restricted to granting necessary permissions and deploying security personnel. "We only gave permission and deployed the entire Bengaluru police force for security. The government did not host the stadium event," he declared. However, the exclusive letter reveals advance coordination between KSCA and government authorities, including specific mention of both the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister's participation as chief guests. The document shows the government had detailed advance notice of the celebration plans, raising questions about preparation and crowd management strategies. The revelation adds a new dimension to the investigation into the preventable tragedy that occurred during what should have been a joyous celebration of RCB's maiden IPL championship victory.
Hindustan Times
32 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Starc laughs off Josh Hazlewood being nicknamed 'HazleGod' by RCB fans: 'Don't think it'll take off in Australia'
Josh Hazlewood had a memorable Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign as he was the star of the show in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) maiden title triumph. The Australia pacer returned with 22 wickets in the 18th edition of the T20 tournament as he finished as the third-highest wicket-taker, only behind Gujarat Titans' Prasidh Krishna and Chennai Super Kings' Noor Ahmad. Such as the impact of Hazlewood that RCB fans started referring to him as 'Hazlewood', and the nickname has become quite popular in India. Hazlewood is gearing up for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa, which will begin on Wednesday, June 11, at the Lord's Cricket Ground. Ahead of the marquee contest, Hazlewood was asked about his new nickname in India. The 34-year-old said it feels great to be referred to as 'HazleGod', but he doesn't think this new nickname will stick around in Australia. Hazlewood suffered a shoulder niggle midway through the IPL 2025 season. He then returned to Australia once the tournament was suspended for one week due to the conflict between India and Pakistan. However, the speedster returned for the playoffs. His impact was instant as he took three wickets in Qualifier 1 against Punjab Kings. Also Read: Pat Cummins mocked with a cheeky dig by English TV presenter ahead of WTC Final 'Yeah, hopefully, it runs out of steam pretty quickly. It's flattering, obviously, to hear it around the grounds in India, but I don't think it'll take off in Australia,' said Hazlewood in a video posted on the official Instagram handle of ICC. A post shared by ICC (@icc) Josh Hazlewood's parter-in-crime, Mitchell Starc laughed off the new nickname, saying he is hoping that it sticks around. He also added that the Australia pacer has had a great last couple of months. 'Hopefully, it sticks because I don't think he likes it too much. He's had a fantastic few months, the big fella over in India, and he's come home with bags of cash. So I look forward to seeing him in action here at Lord's,' said Starc. On the other hand, Nathan Lyon revealed that there was a time during the training session for the WTC final when Josh himself referred to as 'HazleGod', leaving him surprised. 'HazleGod, he actually referred to himself as it the other day, which totally took me back by surprise,' said Lyon. 'Off the back of him winning the IPL, I think he's running with it,' he added. In the IPL 2025 final against Punjab Kings, Hazlewood had a rare bad day at the office. He conceded more than 50 runs, took one wicket, and RCB won the contest by six runs.
