From RCB in 2008 to KKR in 2025: IPL teams that failed to build 50-plus opening partnership in a season
(
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.com
8 minutes ago
- India.com
'The last time he played a T20I....': Suryakumar Yadav's first reaction as Gill gets vice captaincy of the side for Asia Cup 2025
'The last time he played a T20I....': Suryakumar Yadav's first reaction as Gill gets vice captaincy of the side for Asia Cup 2025 New Delhi: Indian T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav has welcomed the return of Shubman Gill. Gill has been made the vice-captain in the 15-member squad announced for the Asia Cup 2025. He has returned to the T20 format after almost a year. Suryakumar said that the last time Gill was the vice-captain on the Sri Lanka tour and from there the new cycle of preparation for the T20 World Cup started. Gill was busy in the Test series Suryakumar said that Gill did not get a chance to play in T20s as he was constantly busy in Test cricket and the Champions Trophy. He said, 'Now Gill is in the team and we are happy that he has returned.' IPL and international record Gill's return is also due to his brilliant IPL 2025 performance. While captaining Gujarat Titans, he led the team to the playoffs and scored 650 runs in 15 innings. His strike rate was 155.87 and his average was 50. Gill has also scored 578 runs in 21 matches in T20Is, which includes one century and three half-centuries. He is among the few Indian batsmen who have scored centuries in all three formats. Selectors' strategy Selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar said that the reason for Gill not playing was the schedule and the busy calendar of other formats. During this time Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma got a chance. Agarkar also made it clear that, keeping in mind the balance of the team, the captain and coach will decide whether Gill will directly enter the playing XI or not. Missing players and future preparations Yashasvi Jaiswal has been kept on standby, while Abhishek Sharma was given priority. Agarkar said that Shreyas Iyer played well in the IPL but could not get a place. At the same time, Rinku Singh was selected as an additional batting option. The selectors clearly said that the players are being selected keeping in mind the T20 World Cup 2026. The India Squad for the Asia Cup 2025 is looking very balanced and potent side. India's schedule India, the defending champions, are placed in Group A along with Pakistan, UAE, and Oman. The team will open the campaign against UAE on September 10, while the high-voltage clash will be against Pakistan on September 14. The last league match will be played against Oman in Abu Dhabi on September 19.
NDTV
8 minutes ago
- NDTV
Team India's Asia Cup Squad: Ins, Outs From The Last T20I Series
There were several surprise selections in India's Asia Cup 2025 squad, which was announced on Tuesday in Mumbai. The squad was announced during a press conference attended by T20I skipper Suryakumar and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, which was held after a meeting between BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and the selection committee. India Test captain Shubman Gill, who last played a T20Is in July last year, was included in the squad. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah was also included, despite the recent talks over his workload issues. In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Gill scored 650 runs in 15 innings at an average of 50.00, with a strike rate of 155.87, with six fifties and a best score of 93*, ending as the fourth-highest run-getter in the tournament. Gill replaced Axar Patel, who served as Suryakumar's deputy in the format during his absence. It is worth noting that Gill was the vice-captain during his last appearance in the format. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal 's snub was the other major highlight from the 15-member squad. Jaiswal was the back-up opener ahead of Gill for the T20 World Cup last year. He was the backup as India wanted to open with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Having made 723 runs in 23 T20Is with a century and five fifties at a strike rate of over 164 throughout his career, Jaiswal's 559-run IPL 2025 season (in 14 matches with six fifties at SR of almost 160), brought back the leftie into T20I conversations. Iyer ended up as the sixth-highest run-getter in IPL 2025 and had his best season, scoring 604 runs in 17 matches and innings at an average of 50.33, strike rate of 175.07 and six fifties. His best score was 97*. He played a massive role in taking PBKS to their first IPL final since 2014, but the team fell short by six runs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). There were several exclusions in the team from India's last T20I squad, a five-match series in February 2025.
Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
I don't mind starting from scratch again, says Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw CHENNAI: Prithvi Shaw was Shubman Gill's captain in the U-19 World Cup that India won in New Zealand in 2018. Seven years down the line, Gill is on the cusp of the Indian senior team's all-format captaincy while Shaw, once touted as a 'boy wonder' and the 'next big thing', is trying to make a comeback into the first-class fold after losing his way. Question marks over fitness, form and discipline took a huge toll on the opener as he got dropped from the Mumbai Ranji squad last year and went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction. Now he is back in the domestic scene where it all began, this time turning out for Maharashtra instead of Mumbai. Shaw, who had scored a ton on his India Test debut, announced his comeback in familiar fashion with a well-paced century (111, 141b; 15x4, 1x6) against Chhattisgarh on Day Two of the Buchi Babu tournament here on Tuesday. The 25-year-old sounded optimistic about the upcoming domestic season and said he was 'confident' of making a comeback. 'I don't mind starting from scratch again because I've seen many ups and downs in my life. I've been up there and been down there. I've also come back up there. So, everything is possible. I'm confident of myself, my work ethic. And my family has been the biggest support in my tough times. Hopefully, I'll get back there soon. I hope that this season goes really well for me as well as for my team,' said Shaw. During his knock, as he entered the nervous nineties, the right-hander danced down the track to launch a stunning six. Shaw said he was going back to basics and taking each day as it comes. 'I don't want to change anything (from the past few years). It wasn't anything like that. I feel I just went back to basics, doing the things I used to do in my Under-19 days, which got me into the Indian team. I'm just doing all that stuff back again. I'm trying to be myself and trying not to be on social media or any of those kinds of distractions. It's kind of peaceful when I'm not using it.' Shaw has started to get his belief back. 'I feel I have never lost. It's always about learning. Earlier, I was trying to think about the future and I don't think it worked for me. So now what I'm trying to do is go day by day. I try to be in the present; I'm that kind of person right now.' When asked if he received any messages or calls from the cricket fraternity during his 'tough times', pat came the reply with a smile: 'No one.' 'It's fine...I don't want anyone's sympathy. I've seen this before as well. I've had my family's support and my friends who were there with me when I was not really well mentally. Obviously, people are busy doing their work and they have their family as well. So it didn't bother me at all because I had my family and then I was practising. I was in that zone where I was doing everything alone and it was really good for me. It was working for me.' Having steered Maharashtra to 217, Shaw could well have stayed back in the Guru Nanak pavilion, but after a quick massage, he chose to field for the last five overs. He said he has also been focusing on his fitness in the build-up to the season. 'These two-three months, I had my trainer come personally and train me, and I've got a dietician as well who plans all my meals. All this over the last three-four months has really changed me physically and mentally. And maybe it can be seen on the field,' said Shaw, who was running briskly between the wickets earlier in the day. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
