The Indian Premier League (IPL) delivered one of its most dramatic finishes of the season, with Rinku Singh producing a performance for the ages as Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Lucknow Super Giants in a Super Over in Match 38 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
In a contest defined by pressure swings and collapsing margins, Rinku stood at the centre of it all, first rescuing Kolkata with the bat and then finishing the job in the Super Over, as neither side could be separated across 40 overs.
Lucknow controlled the early narrative through their pace attack. Mohsin Khan was relentless, removing Tim Seifert and Ajinkya Rahane early before returning to dismantle the middle order and complete a five-wicket haul.
What followed was a counterattack that changed the game. Cameron Green briefly steadied the innings, but it was Rinku who recalibrated it. Starting cautiously on a sluggish surface, he absorbed the pressure before flipping the script in the closing overs. His unbeaten 83 off 51 balls, including four sixes in the final over, dragged Kolkata to 155, a total that had looked unlikely when they were deep in trouble.
Lucknow’s chase never quite found rhythm. Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran fell early, forcing Aiden Markram and Rishabh Pant into a rebuilding phase. Their partnership briefly steadied the innings, but wickets at regular intervals kept Kolkata ahead, especially as their spinners tightened control through the middle overs.
Just when the chase seemed to be slipping away, the final over descended into chaos. Needing 17, Lucknow capitalised on erratic execution, including high full tosses, before Mohammed Shami delivered the moment that stunned the contest, launching a six off the last ball to tie the scores and force a Super Over.
The Super Over distilled the game into pure execution. Sunil Narine delivered with the ball, restricting Lucknow to a modest total, and Rinku Singh returned to close it out immediately, sealing victory with authority.
It was a performance that went far beyond a single innings. Rinku became the first player in IPL history to score over 80 runs and take four catches in the same match, underlining his influence across every phase of the game.
For Lucknow, the defeat will be difficult to process. They dominated large portions of the match, particularly with the ball, but once again failed to close out decisive moments. Kolkata, on the other hand, leave with more than just two points. They leave with a reminder that even in chaos, clarity can come from one player willing to own the moment.
On a surface where 155 should have been manageable and a chase that seemed lost more than once, this match reinforced a simple truth. In the IPL, control means little if you do not finish.
Scorecard:
Kolkata Knight Riders: 155/7, Overs 20, Rinku Singh 83*, Mohsin Khan 5/23
Lucknow Super Giants: 155/8, Overs 20, Rishabh Pant 42, Vaibhav Arora 2/24
