[WATCH] Rinku Singh smashes 5 sixes in final over to power KKR over the line vs GT in an epic finishย
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Rinku Singh played an astonishing knock to help his side edge out the Gujarat Titans (GT) by three wickets in a thrilling IPL 2023 contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, April 9.
GT batted first after winning the toss and setting up a mammoth 205-run target for the Knight Riders. In reply, KKR got off to a poor start and were reeling at 28/2 after four overs.
Venkatesh Iyer (83) and Nitish Rana (45 off 29 balls) played aggressive knocks and brought their team back into the match with a 100-run partnership. GT skipper Rashid Khan then picked up a timely hat-trick in the 17th over to derail KKR's chase.
The Kolkata Knight Riders looked down and out of the contest at that juncture. With 29 runs needed from the last over, Rinku Singh provided one of the most memorable finishes in the history of the IPL.
He went on a carnage and smashed five sixes off the last five balls to help KKR register a special victory against the defending champions. The southpaw remained unbeaten on 48 runs off 21 balls as Kolkata won their second successive game in IPL 2023.
You can watch Rinku Singh's knock below:
"Somewhere we lost our way but Lord Rinku saved the day"- Venkatesh Iyer after KKR's victory vs GT
Speaking after the conclusion of the match, Venkatesh Iyer admitted that KKR lost momentum in the death overs, but thanked Rinku Singh for playing a blinder and saving the day for the franchise. Reflecting on the chase, Venkatesh said:
"It was a nail-biting finish. Our coach has always said that we can score 200 on any given day. Honestly, the wicket was quite good to bat. When the target is 200, you can't have silent overs. Unfortunately somewhere we lost our way but Lord Rinku saved the day.
Shedding light on the emotions in the dressing room during the final stages of the game, Venkatesh added:
"To be honest, we still believed that we could win. This teaches us that we should never give up until the last ball. First game, we were a little unlucky due to rain. This will be a great morale-booster for us. We want to make winning a habit.
"I am not surprised that we scored 200 because the players have been given clarity. I haven't been in great form. Tonight, just wanted to play late as the ball was coming onto the bat. Just tried to use the bowlers' pace as their seamers were pretty quick."
KKR will next face SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday, April 14.