After a winning performance against Rajasthan Royals in the previous game, Kolkata Knight Riders started their eighth game on an inglorious note, losing several wickets early in the game. The batsmen failed to counter Mohsin Khan and lost half the team within the first 11 overs.
After a slow start to his innings, Rinku, who took charge of KKR’s faltering batting line-up, responded to the LSG bowlers in the final three overs as he scored a few runs off Mohammed Shami and particularly targeted Digvesh Rathi in the death overs.
Rinku Singh wreaked havoc in Ekana and hit 4 sixes in the last over of Digvesh Rathi.
Rinku Singh has once again shown glimpses of his excellent form this time in Ekana as he threatens to take back his own former IPL record from 2023. He scored 24 runs on four balls of Digvesh Rathi, who were hit with consecutive sixes.
Rinku managed to score more than 50% of the team’s total runs and scored 155 runs by the end of his 20 overs and scored a lot of runs in the final fifty-plus partnership with Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Sunil Narine.
Rinku supported her match-winning half-century in the previous innings and scored 81 runs in this match too, while the team was able to score only 155 runs. Cameron Green was the second highest scorer with 34 runs.
6⃣, 6⃣, 6⃣, 6⃣ 🤯
🎥Enjoy Rinku Singh’s explosive ball-striking in the final over 🔥
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/elFxwvCeWO#TATAIPL | #khelbindaas | #LSGvKKR | @KKRiders pic.twitter.com/98wGgWK14c
– IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) 26 April 2026
Kolkata Knight Riders collapse under pressure; What changes are necessary to return?
The biggest concern of Kolkata Knight Riders is the continuous low scores in the powerplay. With the Knight Riders still under immense pressure, they should consider New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra at the top of the order.
Secondly, wicketkeeper batsman Tejasvi Dahiya can replace Ramandeep Singh in KKR’s batting order. This could add some credibility to the batting order. On the other hand, Sunil Narine could eventually be moved back to the top to add the spice to the powerplay that KKR has lacked this season.
The middle-order, which has struggled a lot, can be made credible by including players like Manish Pandey or Rahul Tripathi who are experienced campaigners in the IPL. The bowling is looking more settled now and will be strengthened by the return of Mathisha Pathirana.
KKR will have to win at all costs to keep their playoff hopes alive
Rinku Singh’s record-breaking inning has turned out to be a saving inning for Kolkata Knight Riders. The team has seven matches left to play this season and will have to win at least 6 of these to keep their hopes of qualification alive.
However, Kolkata will have to defend that small score against the LSG batsmen, who have lacked form in this edition of the competition despite having big names. Despite all this, they will need an exceptional bowling performance from their bowlers to get 2 points in this match.
Also read: Angkrish Raghuvanshi got angry, Abhishek Nair fought with the umpire for obstructing the field out – Ban incoming?
