Credit: X
Somewhere, the IPL has captured imagination, converted starters into legends, made careers, birthed new names and generated revenue that's often bigger than the size of several developing countries' GDP. It's that big and famous a contest.
And therefore, with every whirlwind tournament that does so well and rises in the popularity charts, the IPL has also birthed scintillating rivalries that have fuelled great contests and given birth to exciting contests.
Let us take note of some engaging and hotly contested rivalries in the famous league:
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Famously called the 'southern derby' as it features two remarkable teams from down south of the country, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL's latest tournament winners and table toppers, whatever you want to call it, and Sunrisers Hyderabad are two exceedingly bright and ambitious teams that have in their ranks some outstanding individual talents.
On the one hand, RCB, as their famed nickname, have presented great cricketing talents like Jack Kallis, Ross Taylor, Rahul Dravid, Cameron White and Manish Pandey back in the day, the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the past featured greats like Adam Gilchirst, Andrew Symonds and company.
In the current annals of the game, the two spectacular sides have often produced high-scoring games where team totals stand and truly speaking, their rivalry was forged from the onset of 2013 IPL season.
The one game in particular that strikes the mind almost immediately between RCB and SRH happens to be the giant constest in 2024, where Hyderabad actually made 287 runs against Bangalore and aced a high-scoring contest. This was a stunning record-breaking team score that stunned fans and further heightened the rivalry between the two sides with Heinrich Klaasen making big waves with his commanding strokeplay.
287 is actually a serious score. Is it not? Bangalore, who've beaten SRH 11 times, thus far, have made 262 as their highest team score, which too, is an impressive feat.
Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings
Two great IPL teams, giants if you were to call them, have constantly impressed, stunned and generated awe.
Their rivalry is considered the 'El Classico' in the famed IPL contests and has since the beginning generated engaging headlines.
It can be said that whenever the two IPL franchies lock horns, which is obviously on multiple occasions in the tournament each year, dollops of runs and smashing bowling spells built on economical and puzzling deliveries rise to the fore.
In the IPL finals, CSK have won only once whilst Mumbai Indians have taken the cup thrice facing the iconic Dhoni-led team.
Great cricketers on either side have dominated their contests such as Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah on the one end and MS Dhoni, R. Jadeja and as far as recent contests go, then Rachin Ravindra on CSK's end.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders
In order to understand why this is such a huge rivalry, one doesn't have to go so far back in time. You simply need to visit the 2008 contest between the famed KKR, multiple IPL title winners and the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who after eighteen years of persisting, lifted a crown just recently.
But truth be told, it all began back in the inaugural season of the famed franchise-based league where RCB were hunted by KKR as the then prominent batter, actually bowler-destroyer, Brendon McCullum smashed a whirlwind 158.
It remained for quite some time, the highest individual score ever accumulated by an IPL batter until RCB's Chris Gayle happened to make that stormy 175.
Not only did KKR score a massive 222 back then, but adding insult to RCB' injury, the chasing team was bundled out for just 82 runs. Only one batter from RCB's contingent was able to reach double-digit score and that was Praveen Kumar.
Dravid, Kohli, Kallis and Cameron White were collectively able to make 17 runs, while on the other hand, the Kiwi blaster scored 158 off just 12.1 overs at the wicket, in which he struck 13 sixes.
In the 2016 final between the two sides, SRH humbled RCB and took their title.
This has been an old rivalry ever since in which the big spoils have been enjoyed by KKR so far. Although, in the next edition, RCB, now winners of the IPL, would love to bounce back.
