Long before Jonny Bairstow's record-breaking chase or Yuzvendra Chahal's stunning defence, the KKR vs Punjab Kings XI rivalry had already delivered its defining early chapter — on the biggest stage the IPL offers.

The 2014 final at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru pitted two form teams against each other. Kings XI Punjab, as they were then known, had finished the season as league leaders, powered by one of the most destructive batting line-ups the tournament had seen. In the final itself, Wriddhiman Saha produced a career-defining innings, smashing an unbeaten 115 off just 55 balls, ably supported by a half-century from opener Manan Vohra. Punjab posted 199/4, a total that looked more than competitive on a used final-day pitch.

Kolkata's response was built on composure under pressure. Manish Pandey played the innings of his life, scoring 94 off 50 balls to anchor the chase through the middle overs. KKR eventually got home with three balls to spare, closing on 200/7 in a finish tight enough to keep both dugouts on their feet until the very end. Pandey's innings earned him the Player of the Match award, while the win handed Kolkata their second IPL title.

For Punjab, the defeat remains one of the most painful nights in the franchise's history — a final they dominated for large stretches of the tournament, only to fall agonisingly short on the one night it mattered most. For Kolkata, it cemented their reputation as a side capable of producing composed, clutch performances in must-win moments.

More than a decade on, that final remains the single most significant match in the KKR-Punjab rivalry, a reminder that long before the record-shattering chases of the mid-2020s, these two franchises had already given IPL fans a genuine classic.