KKR vs RCB IPL 2024 Recap: KKR Win by 1 Run at Eden Gardens

Indian Premier LeagueResult

Royal Challengers Bangalore

221/10

Eden Gardens, Kolkata · Sunday, 21 April 2024

Kolkata Knight Riders won by 1 runsPlayer of the match: AD Russell

Match preview

KKR survive the closest of finishes as RCB fall 1 run short at Eden Gardens

Match overview

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 1 run at Eden Gardens on 21 April 2024, in one of the closest finishes of the IPL season. KKR posted 222/6 batting first, and RCB came within a single delivery of pulling off a remarkable chase, finishing on 221/10. AD Russell was named Player of the Match. Royal Challengers Bangalore, who had won the toss and elected to field, left Eden Gardens having extended their losing streak to five matches in the 2024 IPL campaign.

The match turned on small margins across all three phases. KKR's powerplay (75 runs, 3 wickets) set an aggressive tone, and consistent contributions through the middle (74 runs, 2 wickets) and death (73 runs, 1 wicket) kept the scoreboard ticking. RCB's reply was competitive throughout: 74 runs in the powerplay, a strong middle phase of 100 runs, but 4 wickets lost in the death for only 47 runs proved decisive.

Venue and conditions

Eden Gardens is one of the most storied grounds in world cricket and a venue with a clear statistical identity in T20 cricket. Across 171 T20 matches at the ground, the average first-innings score is 186 and the average second-innings score is 170. Both teams exceeded those benchmarks considerably: KKR's 222 was 36 runs above the first-innings average, and RCB's 221 was 51 above the second-innings norm.

The powerplay data at this ground is telling. The average powerplay total across those 171 matches is 44 runs. KKR scored 75 in theirs, nearly 70% above the venue benchmark. RCB matched that with 74 in their powerplay chase. The death-overs average at Eden Gardens is 38 runs per innings; RCB managed only 47 while losing 4 wickets, meaning KKR's bowlers largely had the better of that exchange.

On toss strategy, 58% of captains who win the toss at Eden Gardens choose to field. RCB followed that pattern on this occasion. The ground's chase success rate sits at 53%, meaning fielding first is a marginal rather than decisive advantage, and it did not hold up here.

How to watch

IPL matches are broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Cricket. Live and on-demand streaming is available through Sky Go and NOW TV. Most IPL fixtures during the evening session in India begin between 14:30 and 15:00 UK time (afternoon matches begin earlier, around 10:00–10:30 UK time), so UK viewers watching live will typically be doing so during the afternoon and into the early evening.

Recent form

Kolkata Knight Riders came into this fixture with a mixed but improving record: wins against Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore sat alongside defeats to Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in their five most recent matches. Three wins from five gave KKR reasonable momentum heading into this home fixture.

Royal Challengers Bangalore's situation was considerably more difficult. Their five matches before this contest produced five defeats, against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants, and then KKR in this game. Losing five in a row at this stage of an IPL season puts significant pressure on a side's qualification prospects, and despite coming within 1 run of a famous victory here, there was no reward for their efforts. KKR, meanwhile, consolidated their position in the table and continued to show that Eden Gardens remains a difficult venue for opposition sides to leave with a result.

Talking points

What to look out for

5 angles

Headline angle

A margin of 1 run. IPL drama at its sharpest

Kolkata Knight Riders posted 222/6 and Royal Challengers Bangalore reached 221/10 in reply, leaving the match decided by the slimmest margin possible in T20 cricket. RCB needed 2 off the final delivery and could not get them. AD Russell took Player of the Match honours for his contribution in what was a match that had virtually nothing between the two sides.

Angle 02

KKR's powerplay gave them the platform

Kolkata smashed 75 runs from the powerplay (overs 1–6) at the cost of 3 wickets, well above Eden Gardens' average of 44 powerplay runs across 171 matches. That early aggression gave KKR the base to push past 220, with the death overs producing a further 73 runs for just 1 wicket.

Angle 03

RCB's middle overs kept the chase alive

Bangalore accumulated 100 runs in the middle phase (overs 7–15) for 4 wickets, which was the best phase of their innings and kept them mathematically in the game deep into the final over. However, losing 4 wickets in the death overs for only 47 runs cost them the match.

Angle 04

RCB's form coming in was a concern

This defeat extended Royal Challengers Bangalore's losing run to five consecutive matches in IPL 2024. Their recent results against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, and Lucknow Super Giants all ended in defeat, and the pressure on the side was growing with every game.

Angle 05

Eden Gardens chased more often than not. But not this time

Eden Gardens has a chase success rate of 53% across 171 T20 matches, and Royal Challengers Bangalore chose to field after winning the toss, in line with the ground's tendency: 58% of toss winners at this venue opt to field. On this occasion, the ground's slight toss-and-field bias did not pay off.

Context

Key insights

Historical · Not official

Venue par

186

Avg 1st innings score at Eden Gardens

171 matches · 2004–2026

Chase success

53%

Chases completed successfully at Eden Gardens

171 matches · 2004–2026

Head to head

20 — 15

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore — 35 meetings

2007–2025

Kolkata Knight Riders at venue

55%

Win rate across 98 matches at Eden Gardens

Royal Challengers Bangalore at venue

43%

Win rate across 14 matches at Eden Gardens

Powerplay

44/1.4

Average runs/wickets in overs 1–6 at Eden Gardens

Historical aggregates derived from Cricsheet (cricsheet.org) under ODC-BY licence. 2001/02–2026 IPL seasons. For editorial context only — not official live match data, not a forecast, and not betting advice. Projections and comparisons above are frozen from the live state and may not match final statistics.

The rivalry

Who could decide it

Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore have met 35 times in the IPL, with KKR holding the edge at 20 wins to RCB's 15. KKR had won three of the four previous meetings before this match, including an 81-run victory at Eden Gardens in 2023. The sides have split their fixtures across venues, though Eden Gardens has historically been unkind to Bangalore.

Recent meetings

Last 5

2025: Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 7 wickets at Eden Gardens
2024: Kolkata Knight Riders won by 7 wickets at Chinnaswamy
2023: Kolkata Knight Riders won by 21 runs at Chinnaswamy
2023: Kolkata Knight Riders won by 81 runs at Eden Gardens
2022: Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 3 wickets at DY Patil

Key player · Kolkata Knight Riders

AD Russell

Russell was named Player of the Match for his role in KKR's 222/6. His ability to accelerate in the death overs is precisely what a 222-run total requires, and at Eden Gardens the death phase yielded 73 runs for 1 wicket. Russell's fingerprints are on that passage of play.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Mohammed Shami

Shami came into this match as one of RCB's most experienced pace options. In a chase that required wickets to be protected, his bowling figures in the context of a 1-run defeat will be scrutinised closely by the RCB camp.

Career stats →

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Harbhajan Singh

A wily spin option at a ground where the average powerplay concedes 44 runs, Harbhajan brought control in the middle phases. RCB's spin bowling resources were tested across the full 20 overs of a 222-run defence attempt.

Career stats →

Kolkata Knight Riders

I Sharma

Ishant Sharma's pace in the death overs at Eden Gardens is a factor worth tracking. KKR conceded only 47 runs in the RCB death overs while taking 4 wickets, and their bowling attack held its nerve when it mattered most.

Career stats →

Angles to watch

Analytical angles worth tracking

Observations from the venue data, recent form and historical trends. Editorial context, not betting advice.

In matches at Eden Gardens where the first innings exceeds 200, the death-overs bowling markets may reflect significant value given the ground's average of 38 death-overs runs across 171 matches. This match saw the defending side hold RCB to 47 in that phase.
Top batter markets at high-scoring Eden Gardens fixtures have historically been attractive, with the ground's average first-innings score of 186 suggesting batters get a chance to build significant totals.
Toss markets at Eden Gardens carry some editorial weight: 58% of toss winners choose to field, yet the chase success rate is only 53%, meaning the intuitive toss-and-field strategy does not translate to a win at the same rate.
In contests between these sides. 35 meetings, KKR leading 20–15. Outright result lines on KKR at their home ground have historically leaned in their favour, though RCB's ability to post 221 in a losing cause shows the markets are rarely straightforward in this fixture.

For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.

Questions

Frequently asked

Kolkata Knight Riders won the match by 1 run at Eden Gardens on 21 April 2024. KKR posted 222/6 and Royal Challengers Bangalore were bowled out for 221 in their chase, falling agonisingly short on the final ball.

AD Russell was named Player of the Match. Russell's contributions with bat and ball were central to KKR's ability to defend a 222-run total by the narrowest possible margin.

Across 35 IPL meetings, Kolkata Knight Riders lead Royal Challengers Bangalore 20–15. KKR had won three of the four matches immediately preceding this fixture, including an 81-run win at Eden Gardens in 2023.

IPL matches are broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Cricket. Streaming is available via Sky Go and NOW TV for subscribers. UK viewers should check Sky's schedule for start times, as most IPL fixtures begin in the early afternoon UK time.

Royal Challengers Bangalore won the toss and chose to field, in line with Eden Gardens' tendency where 58% of toss winners opt to bowl first. The decision did not pay off: KKR batted to 222/6 and RCB fell 1 run short in the chase.

Royal Challengers Bangalore arrived at Eden Gardens on a run of four consecutive defeats, having lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, and Lucknow Super Giants. This result extended that losing streak to five matches in IPL 2024.

Back to league