Rinku Singh once again became Kolkata Knight Riders’ key man as his all-round effort helped the team beat Lucknow Super Giants in a Super Over thriller in Lucknow on Sunday.
After both teams finished on 155 at the end of 40 overs, KKR held their nerve in the Super Over, with Rinku playing a major role both with the bat and in the field.
Earlier in the match, KKR were in serious trouble at 93 for 7 after 15 overs. It was Rinku who pulled them out of the collapse with an unbeaten 83 off 51 balls, his career-best IPL score.
He paced the innings carefully before attacking in the final over, where he hit four sixes in a row to take KKR to 155 for 7. His knock included seven fours and five sixes.
Lucknow matched the target and the game went into a Super Over.
That was when Sunil Narine stepped up. Using all his experience, he dismissed Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram to restrict LSG to just 1 for 2, the lowest score ever in a Super Over.
Rinku was involved again in the dismissal of Markram.
Markram tried to loft Narine down the ground but could not get enough power into the shot. Rovman Powell ran to his left and completed the catch at first, but his momentum was taking him over the boundary rope. Before crossing the rope, Powell threw the ball up in the air, and Rinku ran in to complete the catch.
Chasing just two runs in the Super Over, KKR finished the job calmly, with Rinku fittingly scoring the winning runs.
He also took five catches in the match and was named Player of the Match for his work with both bat and field.
Speaking after the game, Rinku said, “My mindset is usually to see how to play the game (because I usually walk in after 4-5 wickets have fallen), and I think about how to take the game deep. Wickets had fallen (tonight), so I wanted to take singles, doubles and then capitalize on the loose balls. Just found out late that a spinner would bowl the 20th over. (On his catching) I love fielding, right from my childhood. I enjoy my fielding.”
On the Super Over catch, he said, “I was not at all ready. I thought he would catch it. He threw it up suddenly (smiles).”